Category: Togolese cuisine

Togolese cuisine

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Sorrel (Bissap) drink

Sorrel (Bissap) drink

Sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) Sorrel has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any widely available food. According to some studies, antioxidants enhance nitic oxide production in the body which reduces blood sugar, reduce cancer and oxidized lipids. Sorrel also exhibit activities against atherosclerosis, liver disease, cancer, diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. Sorrel harvested fresh to produce pro-health drink due to high contents of vitamin C and anthocyanins. French (Oseille de Guinée, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Bissap, carcade ou Roselle) English (Sorrel and Rosella) Sorrel is a species of Hibiscus probably native to West Africa. In Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, and Jamaica sorrel drink is made from sepals of the roselle infused with cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, ginger and rum or wine. In Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Burkina Faso and Benin calyces are infused with mint leaves, dissolved menthol candy, and/or fruit flavors (pineapple). It often sold as popsicle. The Middle Eastern and Sudanese “Karkade” is a cold drink made by soaking the dried Karkade calyces in cold water overnight in a refrigerator with sugar and some lemon or lime juice added.

Sorrel (Bissap) drink

  • 2 cups dried red sorrel
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ¼ cup chopped ginger
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 5 whole allspice
  • 1 orange zest
  • Sugar to taste
  • Rum (optional)
  1. Bring all 4~10 cups water to a boil in saucepan.
  2. Add all the other ingredients except the sugar.

  3. Set aside overnight .

  4. When ready to serve sieve ingredients, with fine sieve and discard all particles. Reserve drink

  5. Add the sugar as needed, together with rum according to preference.

  6. Serve with ice or make suck suck out of it.

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Akpan – Ogi

Traditionally processed Ogi is the type of Fufu made with fermented cornstarch with the distinctive sour taste. Unfortunately, for those who live overseas, fermented corn is not easy to get. Therefore I use a powder of fermented cornstarch sold in most African stores. Ogi is simple yet very difficult to prepare with the powdered Ogi flour.

Akpan – Ogi

Akpan is a fermented cereal pudding typically made from maize. Traditionally, the grains are soaked in water for up to three days, before wet milling and sieving to remove husks. The filtered cereal is then allowed to ferment for up to three days until sour.

  • 1 cup Fermented cornflour
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 3 cup hot water
  1. Mix the cold water and the cornflour. Mix well until lump free.

  2. Pour the cornflour into the boiling water.

  3. cook for 5 mins or until thickened

  4. Serve with Yebessessi, Adokougbi, braised fish…

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No egoussi GbomaDéssi

 

Gboma Déssi

  • 2 lb spinach (gboma)
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 2 onions
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 chicken (boiled and fried (Recipe))
  • 3 to matoes
  • 2 cups of chicken stock
  • 1 cube
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
  • 5 hot peppers
  • Salt
  1. Bring water to a boil add a pinch of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of salt.
  2. Add the “gboma” and cook for 30 min or until tender.
  3. Drain, let it cool down and squeeze as much as water from the “gboma” as possible. Set aside
  4. In a saucepan in medium heat, add the oil and 1 sliced onion. Cook for 5 mins.
  5. Add the tomato paste, the 3 tomatoes and 1 onion puree. Mix well and add 2 cups of water (or chicken stock).
  6. Add the cube, 3 cloves garlic, ginger
  7. Add the chicken and cook for 12 mins.
  8. Add the hot pepper, drained spinach leaves and salt to taste. Simmer for at least 15-20 minutes.

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Suya Sandwich

Bread-skewers or Suya Sandwich

I feel like Suya (also called Tchintchinga) is universal. Unless, you are allergic to peanut, why wouldn’t love Suya? I think the Suya stand can be reference as a West African fast food stand. Suya is a meat skewer seasoned with roasted peanut and other spices. The Suya is a staple food in West Africa that originated from the Ayoussa culture. The suya can be made with beef which is the most common, lamb, chicken and even Kidney, liver and tripe which is sold in newspapers.

It can also be served with Jollof rice, Fried plantains, Akpan, Fried yam. For this recipe I used thinly slice beef marinated with powdered roasted peanut, garlic, ginger, paprika, salt… vegetable oil and I served it with some French baguette. And it is a marriage made in heaven the combination of roasted beef, the peanut, the spices and the French baguette make the perfect sandwich.

I drive 3 hours round trip to get my French baguette from Cait and Abby’s in South Orange NJ. If you cannot get your hand on some fresh French baguette for this sandwich, you can substitute the French baguette with some toasted white or Panini bread. Bush the crispy bread with oil before adding the Suya.  Furthermore you can dust the meat with the Suya spice. Unfortunately, because of my kids, I did not add any hot peppers (like cayenne pepper).

Suya sandwich

  • 3 teaspoons finely ground roasted peanuts
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon red peppers or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cube
  • 1/2 kg beef (cut into bite-sized pieces (beef, chicken, etc.))
  • 1 red onion (peeled and cut into chunks (optional))
  • 1/4 cup oil
  1. Stir the spices together , mixing well.
  2. Slice the onion
  3. Dip and roll the meat in the other bowl of the peanut-spice mix, making sure the meat is completely coated.
  4. Place the meat on skewers
  5. Brush with some oil and add more suya spice
  6. Broil in a hot oven, or grill over hot coals, until meat is done.
  7. Slice the bread in half
  8. Add some oil, suya spice and the suya
  9. Serve immediately with the reserved peanut-spice mix, for sprinkling or dipping as desired.

(Do not use the mix that came into contact with the raw meat.).

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Original Yogurt Thiakry

Original Yogurt Thiakry

Thiakry (also called dégué, thiacry or chakery) is a West African dessert that originated from Senegal. The Thiakry consist of millet semolina of the size of couscous. The millet is tasteless therefore, it soak up the taste of the yogurt. My Yogurt Thiakry is made with homemade yogurt, milk, sugar, sour cream and or heavy cream. I also added nutmeg or vanilla extra for aroma.

Unlike my husband, I prefer the “Thiakry Couscous” to the “Yogurt Thiakry”. What make the “Yogurt Thiakry” different from the “Milk Thiakry” is the difference in milk to yogurt to milk ratio. The Thiakry is sold on the street in West Africa and in some supermarket. You should also try my “Rum Thiakry”

The Thiakry can be cook in a saucepan on the stove but I take a shortcut and I add enough boiling water to cover the millet semolina, cover and let the millet absorb the water for about 20 mins and heat in the microwave for 3 mins. The cooked Thiakry should be fluffy and moist.

The Yogurt Thiakry should be served cold.

5 cup of milk

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup of powder milk

2 cup dèguè (Thiakry)

1/2 cup commercial plain yogurt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon nutmeg 

Warm the milk to right below boiling, about 200°F. Stir the milk gently as it heats to make sure the milk doesn’t boil over.

Cool the milk. Let the milk cool until it is just warm to the touch, 112°F to 115°F

Add the yogurt and powder milk and whisking gently. Place in warm water overnight

Cook the millet with steam or microwave

When it is well cooked, put in a calabash, crush, because the small grains form a single ball, work until the small balls are detached from each other.

Add nutmeg, sugar and vanilla extract

Pour into bowls, put in the fridge. Serve as Cold

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African Fried chicken

 

African Fried chicken

If your mother in law is in the same zip code, follow this recipe to the T! this is very close to the traditional recipe.usually a motor is use to grind the spices but, you can pay me to do manual labor!!! A blender work just fine.Back to the recipe, if you want your mother in law to love and respect you don’t skip a step. This fry chicken can accompany Jollof rice , tomato sauce, Ablo or in soups. You can blend the spices, keep it in the fridge and use it on other meats (goat, beef and chicken)

  • 2 chicken
  • 1 onion (1/2 sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 2 ~5 cloves
  • 2 ~5 whole all spice
  • 2 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 cube
  • 1 Bay leave
  • Salt to taste
  1. Grind the spices with the least amount of water as possible.
  2. In a pot, mix the chicken, cube and the blended spices, broil to a boil.
  3. After 10 min add the sliced onion, cook for another 5 mins
  4. Add water to cover the chicken, salt and the bay leave
  5. Cook until the chicken is tender
  6. Fry in batches until golden

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Chin Chin recipe

Chin Chin

Chin Chin

These African croquettes are also known as “Atchomon” or “Achonmon” in Togo and Benin; “Chin Chin” in Nigeria, Ghana or “cakes” in other African countries. They are very easy to make and very appreciated during an aperitif with friends! Chin Chin is similar to the Scandinavian klenat snack, a crispy dough of cooked or fried donuts made from wheat flour and other traditional bakery items.

  • 3 cups 450g all purpose Flour
  • 2/3 cup 150g of butter (or margarine)
  • ¾ cup 150g of granulated sugar
  • ½ cup of milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • vegetable oil
  1. Measure and mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Measure and mix the wet ingredients together except the butter.
  3. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix with your fingers until everything is combined.
  4. Pour in other moist ingredients and mix until dough is obtained. It should form a perfect dough, but if it feels a bit stiff, add a tablespoon of water or milk. If you feel too sticky, add a tablespoon or 2 more flour. Do not overwork the dough.
  5. Let stand on the counter for about 5 minutes. Unpack the dough and lay the dough about a quarter of an inch thick because the dough will increase when you fry them.
  6. Using a knife or pizza cutter or even a dough divider, cut the dough horizontally and vertically, forming small squares.
  7. Put the small squares in a bowl and sprinkle some flour on them and shake to prevent them from sticking.
  8. Heat the oil. Fry until the light is golden brown. Remove with a spoon to drain and spread on a tray lined with paper towel to cool. Chin Chin will be soft to warm but will harden as it cools.

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Togolese Braised chicken with Djinkoumè

Togolese Braised chicken with Djinkoumè

8 cups flour

2 chicken 

8 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons ginger

2 cloves

bay leaf

1/2 onion 

2 cubes

Salt

4 tbsp tomato paste

3 large fresh tomatoes

1 big onions

A red pepper

Clean and cut the chicken in half, marinate with the spices, cube and salted to taste. Cook for 1 hour (30 minutes on each side) – Add enough water to cover the chicken at all time.

Once chicken is cooked, remove from  the broth and set aside

Mix the tomato paste, 1 tomato and 1/2 onion , 2 tablespoons chili puree, 1 cup chicken broth and salt.

Brush the chicken with the tomato mixture.

 

Faites-le braiser sur le barbecue en prenant soin de retourner les morceaux de temps en temps pour ne pas les brûler.

While the chicken is cooking,  add you flour to a dry pot .

Grill it by turning regularly on a medium heat while turning with a spatula for 20 minutes, then reserve.

When the flour takes a “café au lait” color, remove it from the heat and reserve it. 

-If you are roasting too much flour, it does not matter because you can keep it in an airtight container.-

Remove excess oil

Mix 1 cup of water and 1 cup of the roast the corn flour and set aside.

A soon as the water start boiling add the corn and water mixture. Add the salt.

When the liquid start to boil reserve the third. 

Add 2 cups of the roast the corn flour and mix thoroughly

If it is not soft enough for you add the broth on the side.

Mix and cover for a 7 min

Cut the fresh tomato, the African pepper, the fresh onion into thin cubes.

Serve the Djinkoumè with the tomato mixture and fried chicken.