African Recipes Page 1 of 6

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER

African Recipes
AFRICAN VEGETABLE STEW (Serves 4):

"A spicy vegetable stew" I got this recipe from my mom, who got it from a friend. It's very easy to
make.

1 very large onion,chopped

1 bunch Swiss chard
1 can garbanzo beans 500 g (known also as chick peas, ceci, etc.)
1/2 cup raisins 75 g
1/2 cup uncooked rice 100 g
several fresh tomatoes (or 1 large can 800 g of canned tomatoes)
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)
2 yams
salt and pepper to taste
tabasco sauce to taste

Fry onion, garlic, and white stems of chard until barely limp. Add chopped greens and fry a bit. Either
peel the yams or scrub them well with a vegetable brush, then slice them into thick slices. Add
garbanzos, raisins, yams, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook a couple of minutes. Make a well in the
center of the mixture in the pot. Put the rice in the well and pat it down until it's wet. Cover and cook
until rice is done\(emabout 25 minutes. Add Tabasco sauce to taste. I find that the flavors of the
vegetables don't stand out unless you put in a lot of tabasco. But then, I've got a cast-iron tongue. You
should add enough to make the stew seem spicy to you. Difficulty: easy. Time: 15 minutes preparation,
30 minutes cooking. Precision: no need to measure.

Jeff Lichtman
Relational Technology, Inc.,
Alameda, California

From: jeff@rtech (Jeff Lichtman)

Subject: RECIPE: African vegetable stew
RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE AFRICAN-STEW MV
Date: 1 Jan 86" 1986 .RZ

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PEANUTS FLAVOR SIERRA LEONE DISHES

by Jackie Bradley
Wisconsin State Journal
Home Section

Peanut butter flavors many of the foods Koso Weller prepares. But the peanut butter Weller uses is

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different from the all-American peanut butter-and-jelly variety.

"The peanut butter I use looks different and we call it ground nut paste." Weller said. A completely
natural food, Weller's peanut butter contains no preservatives, additives or sugar.

Weller buys her ground nut paste at health-food stores or food co-ops. Sometimes she buys peanuts and
puts them through a grinder.

Ground nut paste is kitchen staple in Wellers native country, Sierra Leone. Peanuts and other legumes
such as black-eyed beans (also called black-eyed peas) are indigenous to the West African country.

Weller arrived here a year ago to join her husband, Ben, who studied political science at UW-Madison.
They will return with their three daughters when Ben begins teaching at the University of Sierra Leone
in the capital city of Freetown.

Weller is using her time in Madison to make preparations for business she plans to open in Freetown.
Currently she works full time at ABC for Kids, a non-profit daycare center located in Eagle Heights. She
also attends MATC'S child-care teacher course with plans to complete the director's program. Weller
said there is a need for day-care centers in Freetown, where she hopes to open a facility. The city of
400,000 has 11 day-care centers, most in Catholic schools.

While in Madison, Weller cooks foods from her native country as often as possible, depending upon the
availability of ingredients. She enjoys cooking, but didn't learn how to do it well until she was married.

"When I was 19, I didn't like cooking at all. Because in my country we have extended families, we cook
for 12 or more." Weller said "Most cooking is done by the elders. I was at school and my job was to go
to the market."

Most of Weller's food is spicy. Because not everyone likes hot food, she suggests adjustingthe amount
of cayenne pepper in her recipes or leaving it out. "Hot peppers are optional. If you don't like them don't
put them in, or you won't be able to eat it," she said.

Peanut butter stew and spinach sauce (plasas) are favorite recipes made with ground nut paste (peanut
butter). "If you use the other kind of peanut butter stew hot. I buy chili peppers at the Asian food store
and grind them myself."

Weller's recipe for spinach sauce is an adaption of a dish made with sweet potato (yam) leaves. Because
she could not find yam leaves in Madison grocery stores, she substitutes spinach, which she thinks is
just as tasty.

Black-eyed bean drops (binch akara) can be served as a side dish with a meal. Smaller balls can be
served with a toothpicks as appetizers.

Weller uses a blender to remove skins and eyes of the black-eyed beans. Blenders are a luxury
unavailable to many cooks in Sierra Leone were a wooden mortar and pestle is often used to prepare
black-eyed beans for this recipe. Although Weller plans to take her blender when she returns to Sierra
Leone, she said she will need an adapter to use it.

Weller also uses an electric rice cooker to prepare the rice served with many African dishes. "It makes it
really fluffy and tastier," she said. In Sierra Leone cooks use cast iron pots for cooking rice.

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CHICKEN STEW

2 pounds stewing chicken

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon "Mrs. Dash" seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups oil
1 large pepper, chopped
2 large onions
4 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
1 large tomato, chopped or diced

Skin and trim fat from chicken. Cut 8 to 10 pieces. Rub in lemon juice. Rinse and drain chicken. Add
spices and rub into chicken. Refrigerate for 10 hours. Heat oil and brown chicken. Saute onions and
pepper for 1/2 hour; add tomato and tomato paste. Stir to distribute evenly. Add salt to taste, add
chicken, 1/2 cup water and simmer over low heat till chicken is tender 10-15 minutes.

BEAN DROPS (BINCH AKARA)

1 pound black-eyed beans (peas)

2 teaspoons salt
1 small onion, very finely chopped
2 cups oil

Pour dry beans in a blender with a cup of water. Chop for one minute. Pour in large bowl add water. Stir
until skins float. Strain into colander; allow all skin and eyes to flow out. Blend beans, onion and
pepper. Pour in a bowl, add salt, and stir with a wooden spoon for two minutes. Heat oil until
moderately hot. Drop mixture into oil with spoon. Fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
Small balls can be served with toothpicks.

CORNED BEEF CAKES

1 pound potatoes or yams

salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
7 ounce can corned beef
2 cups bread crumbs for coating
Deep fat for frying
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Peel potatatoes or yams; wash and boil in salted water until tender, drain and mash. Add pepper or
cayenne, chopped onions, parsley and corned beef. Add milk to eggs. Add two tablespoons egg mixture
and mix well. Form into flat cakes, brush with eggs, coat with bread crumbs. Fry in oil until golden
brown. Drain on tissue paper, serve hot.

PEANUT BUTTER STEW

1 pound stewing meat

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2 large tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon "Mrs. Dash" seasoning
1 large onion, chopped or sliced
1 large pepper, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional
salt to taste

Season meat with Mrs. Dash. Let it absorb for three hours. Brown meat in oil. Add some water and
simmer until tender. Remove and set aside. In the same oil saute pepper and onions. Add tomatoes and
set aside. In the same oil saute pepper and onions. Add tomatoes and stir briskly. Mix peanut butter with
1/2 cup water to form a thin paste and add to stew. Stir, add meat, salt to tase ad let simmer 15 minutes
over low heat. Serve with rice, boiled yam, cassava and green vegetable.

SPINACH SAUCE (PLASAS)

2 packages of frozen chopped spinach

1/2 pound smoked fish, flaked
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 cups water
1 1/2 cup palm oil
2 hot peppers or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound meat, stewing or chuck roast

Cut meat. Put in saucepan with two cups of water, salt, onion and pepper. Bring to boil and add palm-
oil. Continue cooking partly covered. Cook for 1 1/2 hours over medium heat. Add spinach (previously
thawed and drained), flaked fish and peanut butter mixed with water. Stir, cover and simmer for 10
minutes. Serve with steamed rice, drained), flaked fish and peanut butter mixed with water. Stir, cover
and simmer.

Here are some desserts from South Africa.

KOEKSISTERS

12 oz flour 8 oz sugar 4 eggs 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice 4 oz butter 1/2 tsp yeast
fat for frying

Coating: 1 and 1/2 lb sugar 1 pint water

Mix the yeast with a little sugar, then add the mixed dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and add to the
mixture. Knead all together and leave to stand for 1 hour. Roll out and cut into rectangles. Fry in deep
fat. When cooked, dip into a syrup made from the 1 and 1/2 lb sugar and water boiled together with a
little more cinnamon for taste.

KOLOMBYNTJES

8 oz butter 1 lb sugar 5 eggs 12 oz flour 2 tsp cream of tartar pinch salt 1 tbsp milk 1 tsp bicarb. of soda
6 oz currants 1 tsp lemon juice

Cream together butter and sugar, then add the beaten eggs, flour, cream of tartar and salt. Dissolve the

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bicarb. of soda in the milk and beat this in. Finally add the lemon juice and currants. Pour into a greased
pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 - 30 minutes.

MELKTERT

Pastry: 4 oz flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 oz butter 2 egg yolks pich salt

Filling: 1 pint milk 8 oz sugar 2 tbsp cornflour 3 egg whites 1 oz butter cinnamon and sugar

Rub butter into sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Add egg yolks and enough milk to make a stiff
dough. Roll out thinly and line one large or two small cake pans.

To make filling, dissolve cornflour in a little of the milk and boil the remaining milk together with the
sugar. Pour milk/sugar onto the cornflour mixture and cook for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Stir in the
butter.

Cool slightly then fold the stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour the mixture into lined cake pans, sprinkle with
sugar and cinnamon, and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Subject: South African Desserts

Sender: arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva)
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1993 09:06:20 -0500

Heerlike Poeding

This is a recipe from South Africa, but I do not know whether or not it originated there. "Heerlike
Poeding" (pronounced "here-lick-a pudding") literally means "Delicious Pudding" in Afrikaans. This is
not a dessert to be served at refined dinner parties. However, it is a truly delicious baked pudding in the
blue collar tradition that is perfect for hearty appetites on cold, wintry days. It's easy to make, too.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons apricot jam
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
pinch of salt (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)

Beat egg and sugar. Add rest of ingredients except milk. Mix well, then add milk and mix well again.
(The mixture will be very liquid, but that's okay.) Bake for one hour at 350 deg F in a *deep* uncovered
casserole dish -- say about 7 to 8 inches square or round and 3 or 4 inches deep.

Just before the hour is up, prepare the following syrup:

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

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Bring the syrup to the boil, then pour it into the dish, while the pudding is still hot from the oven. Let
stand for a few minutes before serving.

Can be served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Leftovers may be reheated either in the oven or
microwave. It seems to taste even better the second time around!

Paul Malan
malan@leland.stanford.edu
From malan@leland.stanford.edu
Subject: rec.food.recipes: Error in previous recipe
Date: 30 Nov 92 02:27:32 GMT

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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