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.

Yasa Wot Fish Stew in Spicy Sauce

Filets of fresh white fish cooked in red onions combined with scorching spices, and niter kibbeh clarified butter.

Quick Easy Yasa Wot Fish Stew in Spicy Sauce

Ingredients for Yasa Wot Fish Stew in Spicy Sauce

4 fresh white fish fillets

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 red onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

½ cup kibbeh clarified butter

1/2 cup ground dried spicy chilies

1/4 cup paprika

1 teaspoon ground powdered ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

3 cups fish or vegetable stock


Directions

In a large pot, add seasonings, sauté onion and add the tomatoes, garlic in clarified butter. Sauté over high heat 2 minutes, add stock then fish, cover mixture and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with the homemade injera bread recipe below.


About Injera Bread and an easy recipe.

Injera pronounced In-jer-ruh is a classic East African bread recipe eaten with many African food recipes. Injera is a flatbread with a unique, spongy texture that is made from teff flour. Teff flour is light whole grain flour you can substitute whole wheat flour in the recipe but the taste will be different.

The taste and texture on injera, however, are quite unique and unlike the crepe. Injera bread is thicker than a crepe but thinner than a pancake. Injera is eaten daily in all most every in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea family households.

Injera Bread.
Injera Bread Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups teff flour

2 cups water

¼ teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil for coating the pan


Directions

Mix flour, water, and salt. Put the batter aside overnight or up to three days to ferment. The batter will start to bubble and obtain its well-known tartness.

Heat a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients and lightly mix well. Heat a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Coat skillet with a thin layer of batter. Cook until holes appear on the surface of the bread flip and repeat cooking on the other side. Cover completed bread with a damp cloth.

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

Greek Obsession with Ethiopia

Image
Ethiopia: How Ancient Greece Imagined a Distant Land. The ancient Greeks were fascinated by Ethiopia , placing it at the edge of the known world. Drawn by dreams of wealth and the pursuit of mathematical knowledge and scientific marvels, the Greeks also sought riches such as gold, ivory, ebony, and exotic animals. These goods were highly prized in the Greek world , promising great wealth and peril to those who dared to venture to this distant land. Distance and Travel to Ethiopia. Sea travel was the primary means of long-distance travel for the ancient Greeks . A sea voyage along the African coast to the regions they considered Ethiopia would have taken several weeks to a few months. Sea voyages were fraught with dangers. Ships were vulnerable to storms, which could capsize or drive them off course.  Pirates posed a constant threat, targeting both seafaring vessels and coastal settlements. Navigation was challenging, relying on knowledge of stars, coastlines, and rudimentary instru...
Read the full post here

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

Why Study the Kingdom of Kongo When It Failed

Image
A Kingdom Torn Apart: The Forces Behind Kongo’s Collapse. Why study and honor defunct ancient African kingdoms? These kingdoms no longer exist, they were failures; hpwever, they were once thriving societies with remarkable achievements. Before the arrival of Portuguese explorers, the Kingdom of Kongo flourished as a prosperous and powerful African state.  It boasted a sophisticated social structure, strong economic systems, and rich spiritual traditions. The King of Kongo was regarded as a sacred intermediary between the gods and his people, embodying the kingdom's deep reverence for spirituality and governance.  This existence, however, became a battleground as the Portuguese wielded their “divide and conquer” strategy with precision, exploiting internal rivalries and introducing advanced weaponry that disrupted the balance of power, deposing the king. Economic pressures intensified as the Portuguese fueled the transatlantic slave trade, transforming allies into rivals and co...
Read the full post here