Tired of your regular meal? we got you covered. In this article we have put together five amazing African food recipes that will have your family gathering together every weekend.
The beauty of these recipes is that they are cheap and highly nutritious. This means you can make them for lunch or dinner even on days when you are not exactly financially buoyant.
If you are ready, so are we!
Egyptian Koshari
This is a traditional Egyptian dish of lentils, rice, and pasta.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup brown lentils
- 1cup elbow macaroni
- 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 (15.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the water and lentils in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Wash the rice with warm water and to the lentils, then continue to simmer for an extra 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Step 2
Fill a separate pot with light water and a teaspoon of salt, then bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and let cook until tender for about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain once the pasta is done.
Step 3
Meanwhile, heat your vegetable oil or margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion is lightly browned.
Pour in the tomatoes and season with your favourite seasoning cube or liquid, red pepper flakes, a teaspoon of salt and pepper — Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4
Stir rice, pasta, lentils, and sauce is a large bowl until evenly coated. Serve with Fish, Chicken, or Tofu.
Nigerian Meat Cigar
This is a Nigerian version of the Moroccan meat cigar snack.
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound Lean ground beef
- 3 large fresh tomatoes (chopped)
- 4 large bell peppers (chopped)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 small bowl of cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
- Salt
- Seasoning
- Garlic
Preparation
Step 1
Set on ingredients on the kitchen table and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet lightly.
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef until it loses its pink colour and begins to brown.
Drain fat from skillet. Add tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, bell pepper and seasoning. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture reduces slightly about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Pull out One phyllo sheet from package and keep the remaining tightly covered with a clean cloth until ready to use. Clean a flat work surface and neatly cut the phyllo sheet into two rectangles.
With a cooking spray, lightly spray the first half-sheet, Then place the 2nd half on top of it and spray again with cooking oil. Collect a generous amount of the meat mixture with a cooking spoon and set near the narrow end of the dough.
Gently fold the dough over the top of the meat, wrap in the sides of the rolled dough, and roll into a narrow cigar shape (tube).
Repeat process until all the meat has been made into cigars. Arrange meat rolls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes or until rolls are lightly brown.
Nigerian Pancake Rolls
This is your regular pancake, only better.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 small tin of milk
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 sausages (diced)
- Shredded chicken
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- 1 large tomato (chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- Toothpicks
- Water
- Olive oil
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk eggs, milk, and sugar in a bowl. Add flour to mixture and stir still you achieve a light and smooth consistency (add some water if your batter is too thick). Pour a teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan and place on low heat.
With a deep soup spoon, scoop a small amount of the mixture and pour into a frying pan (It should look like phyllo dough when done, only fluffy).
Wait a few seconds and flip the pancake over to let the other side cook. Remove from heat and repeat process with the remaining batter.
Step 2
Put a saucepan on low heat and pour in 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Pour all chopped ingredients into a saucepan and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Then add salt, seasoning, shredded chicken and ground pepper. Allow cooking for 7 minutes or until almost all the liquid evaporates.
Pick up a pancake and fill a side with one tablespoon of shredded chicken sauce. Roll pancake and hold in place using a toothpick. Repeat process for all pancakes. This snack is best served hot!
Shrimp Sauce
We will do anything for the love of seafood
Ingredients
Frozen or fresh shrimps
- 1 Beetroot (chopped)
- Water
- Seasoning
- Salt
- Corn starch
- Sweet corn (rinsed)
- Cabbage (shredded)
- Pepper
Preparation
Cut off the shrimp heads and dispose. Rinse the shrimps and pour into a saucepan with two or three cups of water.
Add salt, beetroot, seasoning and pepper to shrimps and let boil for 15 minutes. Add sweet corn and cabbage to sauce and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon of corn starch to thicken the sauce. Serve as a dipping sauce or with rice or pasta.
Fried Beans
This recipe is perfect for summer
Ingredients
- 2 cups of beans
- 1 smoked fish
- Pumpkin leaves
- Vegetable oil
- Fresh bell pepper
- Onion
- Salt
- Seasoning
- Water
- Dried crayfish (ground)
Preparation
Step 1
Separate stones and dirt from beans and rinse twice in cold water. Pour washed beans into a pot with four cups of water ( please note that beans needs plenty of water to cook properly) Allow beans cook for 35 minutes or until tender.
Step 2
While beans cooks, chop onions, bell pepper, and rinsed pumpkin leaves. Clean smoked fish by removing gills and other organs, then rinse flesh in cold water.
Step 3
Once beans is tender, pour into a sieve to filter out water and set aside. Pour vegetable oil into a pot and place on heat. Add pepper, crayfish and onion to oil and stir fry for five minutes.
Add Beans to pot and pour in a small amount of water. Add fish, salt, seasoning, and crayfish to beans and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with bread, fried plantain, or fried potatoes.
These are five wonderful recipes you must try with your family soon. Please let us know what you think and give us feedback when you try them. You look forward to hearing from you.
