West African Banana and Chile Fritters (Kaklo)

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This is one of the more unusual vegetarian African appetizers.  Note the combination of bananas, chiles, and ginger which make for a sweet and spicy taste.

Ingredients

  • 2 bananas
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 green chile pepper, such as jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/8 cup water
  • Peanut oil for frying

Instructions

Peel the bananas and mash.  Add chopped onion, tomato and chile pepper and mash again.  Add the salt and ginger.  Mix flour and water, then add mash and stir well.  Heat the oil until hot enough for deep-frying.  Drop mixture half-teaspoonful at a time into oil and fry until golden grown.  Ball shoul be crisp on the outside, but soft on the inside.  Served as hot or cold snack, or hot with a main dish.

Sesame Dipping Sauce

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This Middle Easter dish is popular in Egypt and Sudan.  It contains quite a bit of sesame seeds, and they are one of the oldest plants grown for oil.  In Africa, sesame is call been or simsim.  Serve this dip with raw vegatables or crackers.

Ingredients

  • 1 16-oucne can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 4 teaspoons sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon butter, softened

Instructions

Put the chickpeas and garlic in a blender and grind until smooth.  Scrape the bowl and add the remaining ingredients, mixing well.

South African Samosas

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A “high tea” treat in South Africa, this spicy pastry of sorts originated in India but was transferred to South Africa by railway workers.  Feel free to add more heat by increasing the amount of cayenne.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3 green bell peppers, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
  • 1 pound onions, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 5 crushed cardamon pods
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Juice of two lemons
  • 1 3/4 pound flour
  • oil for frying

Instructions

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the chopped green peppers, salt, garlic, caraway seeds, onions, cayenne pepper, cardamon, cinnamon and juice of lemons.  Combine throughly.  Flour a surface suitable to rolling out dough.  Place the meat mixture on the floured surface.  Knead in one cup of flour at a time until all of the flour is kneeded in.  Next form meat-dough balls about the size of a small meatball and fry on all sides in the oil until browned.  Frying time is ten to fifteen minutes per batch.  Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Ugandan Groundnut Sauce

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Variations on this hot sauce appear all over Africa, with the key ingredint being peanuts in any form. Here, peanut butter works well–either smooth or crunchy.  Its most common usage is to spread over fried chicken or fish or serve it over rice.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound dried fish, such as salt cod, coarsley chopped
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons peanut oil
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne powder
  • 1 teaspoon Malawi Curry Powder
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

Soak the dried fish in 2 cups of water until it becomes soft.  Drain and pat dry.  In a large skillet, fry the onions in the oil until brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the fish, curry cayenne, remaining water, peanut butter, and salt.  Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency.

Pumpkin Hot Sauce (Yedubba We’t)

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There are many meat-based hot sauces in Africa, but also some distinctly vegetarian sauces such as this one from Ethiopia.  Sever this sauce over starchy dishes such as plantains, yams, or rice.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup vegtable oil
  • 1 teaspoon crush garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped red serrano chiles, or substitute jalapenos
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 cups cubed pumpkin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 5 cups water

Instructions

In a skillet, brown the onion in the oil, stirring constantly to prevent sticking, for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the garlic, red chiles, cumin and salt and cook for 20 more minutes, stiring occasionally.  Add a little boilng water as needed to prevent sticking.  Add pumpkin, garlic powder, ginger powder, and water and bring to a boil.  Cook until the pumpkin is tender.  Puree in a blender for a smooth sauce.