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3 West African Food pages to follow on Instagram

Images: @iya_buea, @midunu, @africanfoodiies

West Africa has given birth to an array of beautiful dishes, many of which have influenced the rich cuisines of the Americas and Caribbean. Blessed with three different terrains - the dry savannah in the north, dense forest, and the beautiful coastline of south, West African food reflects its environment and the rich history of the region. As my obsession with food pages on Instagram continues to grow, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite West African food pages that are full of mouthwatering dishes and interesting facts. I hope you enjoy these as much as i do! 

Midunu

When was the last time you had yekeyeke? We are in love with these pillows of cassava goodness. #yekeyeke #cassava #midunu #ghanaiancuisine #newghanaiancuisine #newafricancuisine

A photo posted by Midunu (@midunu) on Oct 27, 2016 at 11:40pm PDT

Selassie Atadika is an inspiring chef on a mission to change the landscape of modern Ghanaian cuisine. Her page features images of her infamous Accra held supper clubs as well as her stunning interpretations of traditional dishes. I love the thought that goes into each of her dishes, and how she creates fusion foods using flavours from throughout the African diaspora.

Iya Buea

What's your favorite type of fish? Do you prefer it fried, grilled or roasted? Share your preference with us at #Iyabuea

A photo posted by IYA (@iya_buea) on Dec 17, 2015 at 7:10am PST

Based in Cameroon, this page showcases various appetising dishes from this restaurant's menu. We are taken on a journey through each picture, from the raw ingredients to the finessed dishes produced by some of Cameroon's most talented chefs. Not only does the food look absolutely amazing, I really like that there's an emphasis on family, community and the necessity of using the best local ingredients to produce the best food. 

African Foodiies

Wishing you a good Sunday with this Jollof and Plantain. 🍛🍗🍗🍗 #africanfood #africancuisine #food #yummy #spicy #homemade #africa #chicken #rice #plantain #team229 #team233 #teamafrica

A photo posted by From Africa With Love 🌍❤️ (@africanfoodiies) on Jun 26, 2016 at 3:44am PDT

Created by Togolese students, this page offers a unique perspective on dishes from Togo and other West African countries. If you're new to West African food, the wide range of foods shown here will definitely get you going! What's most interesting for me is the variety of ways that the same ingredients have been used to form different textures and flavours, which highlights the humble elegance of West African food.

What West African food bloggers or pages do you follow? Comment below!

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805 Nigerian Restaurant

Famed for its great Suya and delicious food, 805 is somewhere I have wanted to go to for a while. I remember a few years ago, when my mum came back one evening with the best Suya (literally THE best) I've had in the UK, I decided that I would have to try the rest of their dishes. Located on Old Kent road, 805 is known to be one of the best places for Nigerian food in London. I decided to go on a Saturday, early in the evening as I suspected it would be seriously packed on a Friday evening or Sunday. Despite being quite busy, we were seen to and seated quickly; the total waiting time was less than five minutes.

The atmosphere was good, with music playing and each table packed to the brim; everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were so many waiters and waitresses who were keen to see to us. In all honesty, I wasn't expecting much in terms of customer service, as most of the African restaurants I've visited so far seem to be lacking customer service trained staff. However I will say that I was more than pleasantly surprised. The staff were quite friendly and very helpful.

We received our drinks – palm wine – a fermented alcoholic beverage made from the sap of a palm tree - almost instantly after ordering; and the wait for the food wasn’t long. I think in total it took under half an hour for all our food to come out. For the starter we ordered Suya – grilled marinated beef strips (chicken was also available) served with sliced tomatoes and onions. The meat was tender and delicious, and had that signature chargrilled flavour that Suya is known for. I do wish that they were a bit more generous with the portion; as I did feel that for £13 the portion size was a bit too small.

We both ordered jollof rice (rice cooked in a tomato based stew – (A dish of Senegalese/ Gambian origin, which is eaten in various ways across West Africa) - which came with fried plantain and a side salad. I also got fish stew and my friend ordered chicken stew. I’m not sure what fish was in the stew, as the fish on the menu wasn’t listed by name. The tomato stew was tangy and full of flavour, and complimented the crispy fish which had been fried perfectly. The jollof rice was delicious, though I would have liked it to be a bit spicier. I think the perfect plantain should be crispy around the edges, but sweet and soft inside; the plantain we were served definitely lived up to this expectation!

My friend ordered Moin Moin – a steamed bean cake made from skinned, ground black eyed beans; this one was flecked with corned beef. It was very light and airy in texture and had a very subtle flavour. Overall, I had a great experience at 805. I felt that it was really nice to see a flourishing and successful African restaurant. If you’re looking for a restaurant with authentic Nigerian food, a nice atmosphere and friendly staff, I’d definitely recommend checking it out.  

www.805restaurants.com  - 805 Old Kent Rd, London SE15 1NX  

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This is a popular Gambian dish, Benachin, originated from the Wolof meaning cooking with one pot. As the name may suggest, just about anything can go in, this is Africa’s answer to a good risotto lady fish. Alternatively it can be made with beef. Always use fresh herbs as this gives a good flavor to the food. The preparation might take about 1hr.

Ingredients: Fish or meat, lemon juice, basil leaves, aubergine, chopp fresh parsley, small medium onion, fresh chili, fresh tomatoes, pumpkin, carrot, medium cabbage ,vegetable oil, water, tomato paste if you want the colour to appear

Recipe.

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From ‘My African Food Map,’ a really great project. 

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Doro Wat - Ethiopian Spicy Chicken Stew - Made with our Berbere Spice Kit 

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Puff puff and Chin Chin!!

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Hello Friends,

My friend Omer is currently working on this amazing project, writing a self-published Sudanese cookbook. Please go check his kickstarter, give some coins if you can, or just reblog this to let people know about it :)

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Universal Side = Fried Plantain | 9jafoodie

facebook | instagram | twitter

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Tanzanian Foods, also called Mahanjumati

Pilau, sukuma wiki, grilled Tilapia with hot sauce, “wali wa nazi" 

For more follow tanzanianbabe.tumblr.com

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Safari Restaurant Streatham I’m always sceptical about going to Ghanaian restaurants. It’s probably got to do with the fact that the food is so familiar to me, meaning I tend to be overly critical. This wasn’t my first trip to Safari. I remember going there often when I was living in Streatham; after college when I got a craving for some Jollof or Waakye I would grab a take away. This weekend, for a change a friend and I decided to get Ghanaian food and having never actually sat in we decided to go to Safari. For someone who has never been before, the dark décor may not be the most enticing. For me a restaurant’s décor is hugely important as it really can make or break the restaurant’s vibe. As we entered, there was no indication of where we should sit, or if we had to go up to order or wait at the table. Over ten minutes after we were told to take a seat, the waitress trudged over to take our food orders. For starters, we ordered kebab (grilled meat – traditionally goat but can also be beef or lamb) with suya (a powder made with ground peanuts and spices). I ordered jollof rice, plantain, grilled tilapia (which turned out to be gigantic), and shito (a fried pepper sauce made with dried fish, dried chilli and spices). My friend ordered fried yam, which came with fresh pepper (blended tomatoes, onions and scotch bonnet with a pinch of salt), shito and tilapia. For drinks I ordered palm wine (I was feeling adventurous!) and my friend got what I like to call ‘tooth rotting’ Ghana Fanta. The food took forever to come, and the waitress seemed unfazed at the fact that our food had taken way over an hour to arrive. The food was delicious; the jollof was good, the plantain just right, a good combination of sweet, crispy and not too oily. The tilapia was definitely the star of the show, a huge fish marinated in spices and topped with sliced onions. I felt the price was reasonable; between the two of us the food came up to just over £40. In true Ghanaian style the portions were huge - I’m not complaining though as I had the rest of it for lunch the next day! I feel like most of the Ghanaian restaurants I’ve been to have good food, however in most cases the décor and the service is not up to scratch. I think it’s a shame that these restaurants don’t seem to be investing time into customer service training and creating a welcoming environment for customers. If you want good Ghanaian food I definitely recommend going to Safari, however don’t get your hopes up when it comes to customer service! Safari Restaurant, 440 Streatham High Rd, London SW16 3PX, 020 8679 9055

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Review: Adulis Eritrean Restaurant

Just by chance, on the bus home one night I spotted this restaurant on Brixton road. As I’d never tried Eritrean food, I was curious about what I would find. I had tried Injera at a food stall a few years before, which I loved – so I decided that would be the first thing I would order. A friend and I went on a Sunday night and the first thing I noticed is that it was packed to the brim; literally so full that we ended up waiting for about half an hour for the table! The staff kept us updated on what was going on and offered us seats while we waited. Inside, the whitewashed walls were lined with pictures of Eritrean people and instruments; and the chairs were covered in traditional woven fabric which gave the restaurant a cosy feel. It was really interesting to see how much effort had been put into the décor, which I felt made a huge difference to the whole experience.

One of the weird things I like to do in country specific restaurants is check if people who are from the country are in the restaurant. In this case, the restaurant was packed with Eritrean people and people from elsewhere. This is always a great sign, as it shows that people who regularly eat their local dishes are prepared to spend money on food that they could otherwise make at home.

Though our drinks came out quite quickly – (they were just regular juices – cranberry and mixed), our food took what felt like forever to come out. I was so hungry that I was salivating at the sight of other people’s food; and when it finally arrived I almost did a little dance in celebration! The food – Oh the food! My taste buds are literally tingling as I write because the food was amazing. As I said earlier, I knew that I wanted Injera, but had no idea about how it would be served, or what it would be served with. Luckily for us, the waiter was quite helpful and explained what each of the dishes were as they arrived.

For starters we both ordered vegetable Sambusas - a fried pastry filled with spiced potatoes onions and peas. We settled on a mixed platter for two for the main – Mini Kirchat, which had a selection both of vegetable and meat options. The food was served on Injera (with extra at the side) – a fluffy bread made with Tef, a grain which is ground and fermented to produce a tangy taste; and is used to scoop up stews. The platter included several dishes including Dorho – a tomato based chicken stew made with berbere (a mixed spice paste) which was served with an egg and cottage cheese, Timtimo – spiced red split lentils cooked with olive oil and Minchet Abish – minced beef stew cooked with herbs and spices. The food was presented beautifully and the Injera complimented the flavours of each dish perfectly. The food was very filling, and there was still some left over after both of us had stuffed our faces! I’m not sure if they had dessert on the menu, but I really didn’t think it was necessary after such a filling meal. We did get some warming Eritrean tea, which was spiced with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and was served with cubes of sugar.

Overall, I really did enjoy going to this restaurant. The food was delicious, the price of the platter was good considering the amount of food that we got; and the service was good – despite the long wait for tables and food.  I think this was a great introduction to Eritrean food, and will definitely be going back to try some more dishes on the menu.

Check out their website: http://www.adulis.co.uk/

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Yoyi

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Ofada rice. Nigerian (Yoruba) cuisine.

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Spotlight: Black Eyed Beans (Cow Peas)

Black eyed beans are an essential African ingredient, and can be found in many dishes across the continent. Highly nutritious, these beans are a great source of fibre, and are packed with protein, potassium, iron, manganese and folate; they are thought to help lower high blood pressure. A popular Nigerian snack made with black eyed beans is Akara - a fried fritter (traditionally fried in palm oil), which is made by blending peeled beans with peppers and spices. Similar variations of this snack can be found throughout West Africa (in Ghana it is known as Koose); as well as in parts of South America and the Caribbean. In Brazil they can be found in cities with large populations of African descendants, such as Salvador in Bahia. They are popularly known as Acarajé, and are usually served filled with a variety of spiced pastes. 

Image: http://food.ndtv.com/ingredient/black-eyed-beans-700957 

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Introduction...

Let’s be honest. Type in African cuisine into google, and it’s quite likely that recipes for North African (usually Moroccan) foods and if you’re lucky, a few scant recipes from the rest of the continent pop up. Despite African cuisines being some of the richest in the world, it seems that not much is known about what African people eat.

A daughter of Ghanaian migrants, food has always been a huge part of my upbringing. Growing up, I remember how every Saturday, we would sit round the table and eat the food my mum had made; for me weekends were all about dishes like light soup and fufu, kenke with fried fish and shito and banku with okra soup or Fetri De Tsi as it’s called in Ewe.

Though I love food in general, over the past year or so, I’ve started to take more notice of African foods. I’ve discovered so many mouth-watering dishes and recipes that I’d love to try. Despite knowing quite a lot about Ghanaian food, after a discussion with a friend, I realised that I know so little about food eaten throughout the rest of the continent. So this blog is pretty much me documenting how I explore the foods of a vast continent, whilst hopefully learning about the history of each dish and ingredient and other interesting facts in the process. I hope you like this blog and enjoy this journey with me!