Category: West African Cuisine

Kelewele recipe – How to make Kelewele (Spicy fried plantain cubes)

How to make KeleWele (Kelewele recipe – Spicy fried plantain cubes)

Kelewele pronounced kele-wele is spicy plantain cubes seasoned with ginger, onions, cayenne pepper, and salt.

Kelewele
Kelewele straight out of hot oil.

Spicy fried plantain cubes is a popular and favorite street food in Ghana made out of riped plantains, sold by vendors at night times.

Kelewele is sold at night times because it gets really hot in the day; the average temperature in Accra is about 87 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 degrees Celsius.

Plantains are not bananas although they may look like them.  Bananas are eaten raw 90 percent of the time. Plantains can also be eaten raw but that’s rare.

There was a popular joint in  Accra called Labone Junction Kelewele, I have to admit that was the best I’ve had until I perfected the art.

My parents made sure we knew it was a treat anytime we were taken there. So we will not request to go there on consecutive days.

Serve this great dish with your favorite African cuisines like Waakye or Jollof.

Here’s a kelewele recipe you will enjoy.

Kelewele
5 from 5 votes
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Kelewele

Is cubed spicy fried plantains fried in hot oil

Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Tropical, West African
Keyword Kelewele
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 People

Ingredients

  • 3 Ripe Plantains
  • 1/2 Bulb Onion
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • Ginger
  • 5 Tsp Water
  • Canola Oil for deep frying

Instructions

  1. Cut the plantains in two and then chop them up into cubes

    Fresh Ripe Plantains

  2. Add your dry ingredients together and then blend your water, onions, and ginger. After blending mix all the ingredients.

    Spices

  3. Add the spices to the cubed plantains

    Plantain and SPices

  4. Deep fry your plantain mix in pre-heated oil between 15-20 minutes

 

Ghana Meat Pie Recipe: How to make Ghana Meat Pie

Ghana Meat Pie Recipe.

 

Ready!
5 from 17 votes
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How to Make Ghana Meat Pie

Ghana Meat Pie Recipe

Meat Pie is a West African street food pastry, that is stuffed with meat. It can served as an appetizer at restaurants, parties, etc.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine West African
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 5 People
Calories 275 kcal

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 Cups Unbleached Flour
  • 1 Cup Butter
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Really Cold Water
  • 1 Large Egg For quoting

Meat Pie Filling

  • 1 Pound Ground Turkey You can substitute it with ground beef, chicken breast or tuna
  • 1/2 Bulb Onion
  • 1 Tsp Cajun Seasoning You can substitute it Adobo seasoning or seasoned salt
  • 1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Fresh Tomato

Instructions

Crust

  1. Combine the crust ingredients: your flour, butter, salt and water in a large bowl

  2. mix and knead it until a dough forms

  3. Set aside in a freezer for 10 minutes

Filling

  1. Pour oil in a frying pan and put it on medium heat

  2. Add the meat and seasoning let it cook for 10 minutes

  3. Add your onions to meat and let it cook for another 5 minutes

  4. Add chopped tomato and let it simmer for 5 minutes

  5. After the filling is done, lightly flour a surface and roll the dough with a rolling pin. Cut a piece of the dough into a square or circle, you can choose to make it large or small. Add some meat to each pie and fold in half and seal it. Use a fork to seal the edges so the meat does not fall out.

    Pre-Baked Meat Pie

  6. Lastly, quote the pies with your egg wash so you get that golden brown look

Recipe Notes

Yummy Meat Pie
Meat pie after they come out of the oven.

 

This post contains affiliate links.

I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link.

Wow your guests with this beginner-friendly meat pie recipe from Ghana!

Meat pie is a popular West African pastry which is stuffed with meat. It is very similar to empanadas from Latin American countries.

People from the Carribean Islands also have their version regularly called patties.

You can buy meat pie from many street vendors in West African cities as a quick snack or for lunch especially for busy individuals. Meat pie brings back so many great memories.

Another good thing about meat pie is that they’re super easy to make.

I love to make them because my wife absolutely loves them and I know it always puts a smile on her face.

I remember just before we got married we a mini-fight which was my fault.

So I apologized and bought her some really delicious meat pie.

When we were growing up, my Mom would make it for special occasions like birthday celebrations, marriage ceremonies, Christmas and other holidays.

It did not matter how many meat pies she made, they were always all gone by the same day. This was always a bummer the next day when we realized we had no more meat pies to eat.

And the times when we did not get to eat meat pies at home we would go over to our neighbors’ house because their Mom was a baker. She made meat pies once a week. And if we found ourselves there at the right time we would get a piece or two.

Try making this delicious recipe for your guests to switch things around.

If you try this meat pie recipe and end up with delicious pies, don’t blame me!

Make sure to pair it with Sobolo for extra effect.

You can get good unbleached flour from Amazon.

PEANUT BUTTER SOUP

Groundnut Soup
Chicken Peanut Butter Soup

 

5 from 9 votes
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PEANUT BUTTER SOUP

Peanut butter soup or Groundnut soup is a soup made from peanuts and other ingredients. It is a staple African cuisine and also eaten in some parts of Asia.

Course Main Course
Cuisine West African
Keyword Peanut Butter Soup
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 4 People
Calories 1625 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Pounds Chicken, Goat meat, beef, fish, lamb
  • 1 Bulb Large Onion
  • 1 Tbsp Salt Salt to taste
  • 1 Tsp Seasoned Salt
  • 3 Habanero Peppers Depends on your tolerance
  • 1/4 Pound Garlic
  • 1/4 Pound Ginger
  • 10 Cups Water Depends on how light or thick you want it. Bear in mind it will thicken overnight.
  • 4 Fresh Tomatoes
  • 2 Cups peanut butter preferably the old fashioned brand

Instructions

Steaming your chicken

  1. On medium heat put your chicken in a big saucepan and add 2 cups of water with salt, 1/2 of the onions and the seasoned salt and let it simmer for about 10 minutes

Blending ingredients

  1. In blender add the other half of the onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and 2 more cups of water and blend the ingredients till its smooth

Peanut Butter Soup

  1. Pour the tomato blend mix of the simmering chicken and spices and let it boil for another 10 minutes.

  2. Pour the peanut butter with about 3-4 cups of water in a blender / food processor and let it blend   till its nice and smooth

  3.  Pour the peanut butter mix over the chicken and the other ingredients and let boil for another 30 - 45 minutes. Now you can enjoy your world famous peanut butter soup!

This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link.

Cooking has been my number one activity during this pandemic.

I haven’t made a lot of time to cook in the last few months and I didn’t realize how much I missed it.

This soup brought back a lot of childhood memories.

  My Mom made the world’s best Groundnut soup, and we would have this soup once in every two weeks and trust me it was to live for!

We ate Peanut butter soup with Fufu or Omo Tuo (Rice Balls).

I don’t think there was ever a fight on those weekends because all five of us kids were happy campers.

The left-overs will be eaten with Gari, a West African meal that is bagged or packaged and can be eaten with almost everything and its a good add on to Waakye. 

You can find the original post on https://www.theschizochef.com/.

If you ever try it let me know, trust me you’ll thank me forever!

 

KYINKYINGA – (Beef Khebab) Recipe

 

Beef Khebab Recipe

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I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link.

Kyinkyinga
5 from 14 votes
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Kyinkyinga

Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine West African
Keyword Kebab, Kyinkyinga
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 People

Ingredients

Kyinkyinga Powder

  • 1 Cup Ground Peanuts You can also get peanut butter powder
  • 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Tbsp Paprika
  • 1 Tsp Ginger Powder
  • 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Tsp Black Pepper

Beef on Skewers

  • 5 Pounds Diced Beef
  • 1/2 Bulb Onion
  • Oil
  • Skewers
  • 1/4 Bell Pepper

Instructions

  1. In a bowl mix all your spices together to make the great Kyinkyinga powder.

    Suya Powder

  2. Dip a cooking brush in oil and quote your beef on skewers with oil

  3.  Generously rub your kyinkyinga powder mix on the meat and place them on a baking dish

  4. Place the baking  dish of kebabs in a 350 degree Fahrenheit pre-heated conventional oven. Bake it for about 20 minutes and your best ever beef kebabs will be ready to be devoured!

    Suya

Recipe Notes

Suya
Kyinkyinga

Kyinkyinga is a Ghanaian local name given to Kebab, which is also a popular street food in Ghana, Nigeria and other West African countries.

Suya kebab is synonymous to Kyinkyinga in Nigeria.

Kyinkyinga is served in most restaurants in Ghana and sold at almost every street corner.

Kebab is one of those foods that are hardly made at home, and they usually taste better on the streets.

However, if you’re brave enough you can make better Kebabs from home.

I remember when we were kids my dad would take all 5 of us kids to this popular Bar / Restaurant in town.

In fact the restaurant had some of the most delicious Kebabs in town.

Those were some precious childhood memories for me.

Good ole Amazon has some great peanut powder you can use to as a substitute.

Make sure you have it with a cool drink.

Moreover you can find the ingredients from an African store near you.

 

Guest Post on Schizo Chef! Waakye

I’m super-excited. My first guest post as a food-blogger was published on Schizo Chef today.

The Schizo Chef is a classically trained chef and food photographer who has traveled the world.

She is very knowledgeable foodie and her blog is worth checking out.

https://www.theschizochef.com/

Waakye – Ghanian Rice & Beans – Guest Post

 

Sweet Potato Balls

 

Sweet Potato Balls
5 from 15 votes
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Sweet Potato Balls

Sweet Potato Balls is mashed Sweet Potatoes mixed with other spices and veggies and formed into balls and Fried.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine West African
Keyword Sweet Potato Balls
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 5 People
Calories 240 kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 Large Sweet Potatoes
  • 1 Bulb Onion
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper
  • 1 Tsp Carne Asada Seaoning you can use seasoned salt, Adobo all purpose seasoning, cajun seasoning, etc.
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1.5 Cups Bread Crumbs Save the half cup for quoting the balls after forming them

Instructions

  1. Boil your sweet potatoes for about 25-30 minutes or until cooked.
  2. Peel the sweet potatoes and mash them till their no more lumps
  3. Chop up the onions, carrots and jalapeno and add it to the potato mix
  4. Add your spices,eggs and 1 cup of the bread crumbs
  5. Mix in all the ingredients and with an ice cream scoop, scoop out some of the mix and shape them into balls, quote them with the leftover bread crumbs and deep fry them for 5-10 minutes.

When I was growing up my Mom and close relatives will make these appetizers on special occasions like Christmas, Easter, birthdays and other special occasions.

Last week my wife bought some sweet potatoes from the market and on Wednesday I remembered we had them and then the idea came, sweet potato balls.

Then I started thinking about the ingredients and had to find out if we had them? We had all the ingredients but bread crumbs.

I had gotten some bread from the market a few days prior which  was perfect for bread crumbs.

Spinach Stew

 

Spinach Stew served with plantains
Freshly made Spinach Stew served with freshly cooked plantain!

This post contains affiliate links.

I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link.

Spinach stew is a Ghanaian favorite stew which is usually served with rice, yams and plantains.

It was a favorite of our household and we will have it once a week for lunch right after school.

Unfortunately I would get myself in trouble by staining my shirts. And if you’ve had Spinach stew from Ghana when it stains it stays.

What I didn’t like about it was that I’d stain my shirts and get myself in trouble.

My wife told me when we first met that her favorite food was plantains and spinach stew.

So one day I cooked it and  invited her over for lunch. She admitted later that the stew wasn’t that great, but I more than made up for it later :).

The picture above shows plantain and the stew with a few slices of avocados.

Surprisingly fresh plantains can be found on Amazon.

 

Spinach Stew served with plantains
5 from 11 votes
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Spinach stew

This is a favorite stew of many Ghanaians, which is made out of Spinach, onions, fresh tomatoes, ginger, garlic, oil, salt, habanero peppers, other spices. It served with rice, yams, plantains, etc.

Course Main Course
Cuisine West African
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 5 People
Author fnonterah2018

Ingredients

  • 1 Bulb Onion
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 4 Habanero Peppers You don't have to use as many.
  • 1 Pound Fresh Spinach
  • 3 Fresh Tomatoes
  • 1/4 Ginger root
  • 1 Tsp Salt Or salt to taste
  • 4 Tbsp Canola oil You can use Olive oil too

Instructions

  1. Start off by chopping up the spinach, tomatoes and onions and set aside

  2. Chop up your garlic, ginger and habanero peppers and blend with a little of water.

  3. Pour oil in a pre-heated pan and fry your onions for about 5 minutes.

  4. Add in the blended produce and tomatoes and let cook for another 5 minutes.

  5. Now you can add your spinach, lower the heat to medium and let simmer for about 45 minutes. Because the spinach and tomatoes have a lot of fluid in them and you don't want your stew to soggy. So after about an hour of cooking your world famous spinach stew is ready to be served.

Lime-Ginger Summer Cooler


Lime-Ginger Summer Cooler

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I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link.

Lime-Ginger
Lime Ginger Beverage

Lime-Ginger Summer Cooler is a tropical beverage with freshly squeezed lime and some fresh ginger root.

Nothing like a chilled, sweet and spicy beverage for the summer.

Last week I went to a store up our road that sell farm products and there was a mega deal they had which 20 Limes for a $1, it was too good to pass.

Immediately I thought I can make some Limeade, which I made last Friday, but didn’t last till Sunday.

I still had some Lime left and I thought I’ll create a drink similar to drinks I had growing up.

This is a common street drink that is sold in different parts of the city of Accra.

Accra can get as hot as 95 degrees Fahrenheit and there will be nothing more welcoming than a chilled delicious ginger drink.

The good thing about a Lime Ginger drink is really healthy for you just like other tropical beverages.

I also have a post on a peculiar drink called Sobolo is a prime example of healthy tropical drinks.

There was a great ginger pineapple drink I used to get when I lived in Philadelphia which was made in the Caribbean.

 

5 from 9 votes
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Lime-Ginger Summer Cooler

This is a tropical beverage with freshly squeezed lime and some fresh ginger root. Nothing like a chilled, sweet and spicy beverage for the summer.

Course Drinks
Cuisine Tropical
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 People

Ingredients

  • 2 Limes
  • 1 Pound Ginger
  • 1 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 5 Cups Water

Instructions

  1. Start by squeezing your lime with a squeezer after pour it into a pitcher and set aside.
  2.  Peel the ginger and chop to little pieces and blend with a cup of water for 3 minutes.

  3. With a strainer, strain the ginger and add it to the squeezed lime.

  4. Add water
  5. Finally, add your sugar and refrigerate your cooler for a couple of hours 



Boflot (Puff-Puff)

 

Boflot (Puff-Puff)
5 from 7 votes
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Boflot

Its a popular West-African street food similar to donuts in other parts of the world. It's called Boflot in Ghana, Puff-Puff in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. 

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine West African
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 5 People
Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 CUPS Unbleached Flour
  • 2 Tbsp Dry Yeast
  • 2 Cups Lukewarm Water
  • 1 Cup Honey / Sugar I use honey
  • 1 Tbsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Boil two cups of water for a few minutes or until lukewarm and add the salt and a tbsp of honey then add the yeast. Let it sit between 5-10 minutes or until it reacts, it should grow in volume and become foamy.

  2. Pour the the flour in a big bowl and add the nutmeg.
  3.  Mix the flour and the yeast mix together and let it rise for about 45 minutes.
  4. Scoop them up with an ice cream scoop or roll them into a ball shape.

  5. Deep fry them about 5-10 minutes. Time to enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Earlier this year I learned how to make one of my favorite snacks growing up in Ghana called Boflot. I remember I used to have it for breakfast with some Koko (Corn porridge). or with a glass of hot chocolate preferably Milo. You can get them when you're downtown Accra and you need a quick snack to stave off your hunger. They can also be eaten as an appetizer before your main course at an African restaurant.

Its also made in Nigeria and Sierra Leone where its called Puff-puff. Its a little similar to donuts and actually there are a few British I know who call it donuts. 



Jollof Rice

 

5 from 7 votes
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Jollof Rice

Jollof Rice is a highly popular West African rice dish that is made out of rice, tomatoes/ tomato sauce, spices/herbs.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine West African
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 4 People
Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3/4 Cup Cup Canola Oil
  • 4 Habanero Peppers You can use fewer or more depending on your tolerance level
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1.5 Cups Cups Tomato Paste You can also use fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 1 Cube Cube Bouillon
  • 1 Tbsp Seaoned Salt
  • 5 Cups Basmati Rice
  • 5 Cups Chicken Stock / Broth You can add more if you like your rice softer or stickier
  • 1/4 Pound Ginger Blended
  • 1 Bulb Onion

Instructions

  1. First of all, warm up your oil in a saucepan for five minutes
  2. Add the onions and let it cook for about 5 minutes
  3. Add the blended garlic and ginger
  4. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups of water. Stir for a few minutes until the sauce is nice and smooth and let it simmer for about 15- 20 minutes.

  5. You can now include the Basmati Rice and let it cook for another 30 minutes. Cover the rice mix with a foil wrap with the saucepan lid over it. The foil traps the steam and allows it to cook a well and faster. Stir the mix every 5 - 10 minutes until cooked. Your world famous Jollof rice is ready!

Recipe Notes

Jollof Rice is a very popular West African dish that has sometimes sparked friendly arguments as to who makes the best Jollof Rice. Jollof rice originated from the Wolof, an ethnic group in parts of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania all on the West coast of Africa.
Sometime last week a popular food website posted a very diluted version of Jollof Rice which they claimed was Ghana Jollof which really angered a lot of Ghanaians and other West Africans. But my wife and I agreed that  getting angry wasn't the solution to combat that atrocity 🙂 but rather we needed to create a video showing a better version of Ghana Jollof Rice. So here you are and have a great week!

5 from 7 votes
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Jollof Rice

Jollof Rice is a highly popular West African rice dish that is made out of rice, tomatoes/ tomato sauce, spices/herbs.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine West African
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 275 kcal
Author fnonterah2018

Recipe Notes

Jollof Rice is a very popular West African dish that has sometimes sparked friendly arguments as to who makes the best Jollof Rice. Jollof rice originated from the Wolof, an ethnic group in parts of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania all on the West coast of Africa.
Sometime last week a popular food website posted a very diluted version of Jollof Rice which they claimed was Ghana Jollof which really angered a lot of Ghanaians and other West Africans. But my wife and I agreed that  getting angry wasn't the solution to combat that atrocity 🙂 but rather we needed to create a video showing a better version of Ghana Jollof Rice. So here you are and have a great week!