African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

Cumin Makes the Best African Herb Sauce Recipes

Cumin Makes the Best African Herb Sauce Recipes

Make the best North African cumin herb sauce for dinner tonight.


Cumin is a low-growing annual herb of the Nile valley, but cultivated in the Mediterranean region, Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, India, China, and Palestine from very early times and is a strong tasting herb. Cumin plants mature in about two months when the stems are cut and dried in the shade; one of the main ingredients in green chermoula is cumin. 

Green plants plus cumin make the best African herb sauce recipes.


Green Chermoula North African Herb Sauce

One of the main ingredients in North African green chermoula sauce is cumin. Cumin has a nutty peppery flavor and chermoula is a green plant-based North African herb sauce traditionally served with seafood. 

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min


North African Green Herb Sauce

Ingredients
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 parsley sprigs minced
5 cilantro sprigs minced
½ teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons ground paprika
2 teaspoons ground habanero powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin powder
½ teaspoon salt

Directions
Combine all ingredients and blend on low speed to a rough paste, while the blender is still running slowly add oil and blend until thick paste forms. Store in a container in the refrigerator. 

More info on cumin

Cumin seeds are one of the world's most popular spices. Cumin is the seeds or fruit of the plant and is a slender annual plant. Cumin is native to Egypt, India, and the Mediterranean regions but spontaneously grows in many parts of Africa. Being an earliest known minor seed spice used by humankind, the characteristic pleasant aroma of this seed is due to high oil content.

Much of the crop in the North African regions are hand-harvested. The crop is ready to harvest when the plant withers and the seed loses its dark green color. Cumin is produced and traded worldwide and the major producing and trading countries are Egypt, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East.

Cumin is an herb or spice that is used to flavor foods of various kinds, curries, bread, cheeses, sausages, and as a flavoring in such dishes as chili and other similar dishes in both whole and ground form.

Black cumin is native to Southern Europe, West Asia, India, and North Africa. The small triangular seeds are velvety black in color. Its initial place of origin is most probably West Asia. Black cumin has been in use in the Orient since presumably more than 3,000 years. 

Now that you know about cumin spice, make homemade North African curry powder recipe with ground cumin seeds quick, easy, no additives or fillers and it tastes better than your store-bought curry powder.

Cumin seeds
Cumin seeds


North African Curry Powder Recipe

Ingredients
7 oz. Cumin seeds
2 oz. Coriander seeds
1 dried chili pepper
7 oz. Mustard seeds
1 dried Bay Leave
8 oz. Cardamom seeds
2 oz. Saffron

Directions
Accurately weigh all ingredients. Add all ingredients to a spice or coffee grinder and grind into a powder. Store in an airtight container. 

African chicken curry powder recipe with ground cumin seeds
African chicken curry powder recipe with ground cumin seeds

More easy breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again.

  1. Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe
  2. Ethiopian Scrambled Egg Breakfast
  3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
  4. Chadian Steamed Honey Cassava Buns
  5. Nigerian Breakfast Fried Akara and Ogi

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

Kru Tribe Fine Boy Tradition

Image
Dream-nightmare story from the Kru people of Liberia: the newly chosen Fine Boy is temporarily celebrated with fanfare and pleasure. Kru Tribe Fine Boy Tradition Fascinating stories emerged during the Pepper Coast's glory days. Beginning in the 15th century, European traders established outposts along the Liberian coastline, drawn by its wealth of humans, spices, and other commodities.  Centuries later, in the 19th century, the American Colonization Society (ACS) founded settlements in Liberia and began journalling native stories.  Among these tales is a dream-nightmare story from the Kru people of Liberia, a story so intriguing it almost seems too good to be true because, in some ways, it is.   The Kru women periodically held elections to select a young, handsome man as their “Fine Boy.” The announcement of his selection was celebrated with a vibrant procession featuring music, singing, and dancing.  The newly chosen Fine Boy was placed at the front of the para...
Read the full post here

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali ...
Read the full post here

Berbere Spice Popcorn Topping Recipe

Image
Berbere Spice North African Popcorn Topping Recipe The best African spice for fresh popped popcorn is Berbere, a flavorful and aromatic bold spice blend from North Africa you buy at the local supermarket or online. Berbere is known for its bold mix of spices, often including chili peppers, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves.  Berbere brings a balance of heat, sweetness, and earthy depth to any dish including fresh popped popcorn. The spice mix symbolizes community and hospitality, often prepared at home with slight variations to suit family preferences. Its fiery yet balanced flavor profile mirrors the complex and vibrant food of North African culture . In cities across Africa, popcorn is a common street snack and is often sold in cinemas, at markets, and by roadside vendors.  Berbere Spice Popcorn Topping Recipe Ingredients ½ cup poped popcorn kernels  2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon Berbere spice blend   1 teaspoon salt ...
Read the full post here

Keto Moroccan Dinner Cooked Slowly

Image
Slow Cooked Moroccan Kefta Lamb Meatballs   Keto Tagine Morocco is at the geographic and cultural crossroads between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.   In Morocco, the term tagine refers to a slow cooked stew as well as the pot the stew is made in. Kefta Tagine Kefta Tagine is a keto-friendly Moroccan lamb meatball food dish fitted for your low-carb lifestyle. The slow cooking of the meatballs allows the flavors to meld beautifully, creating a fragrant, hearty keto meal. The star of the Kefta Tagine dish is lamb, symbolizing the richness of Moroccan hospitality. Lamb meat has been a staple in North African cuisine for centuries, with lamb being central to celebrations and religious festivals.  Ground lamb meat is spiced and shaped into small balls, known as kefta, a preparation that dates back to ancient Berber traditions.  The kefta are seasoned with cumin, paprika, and coriander, spices that have shaped Morocco’s history in the global trading of spices whi...
Read the full post here