Food plays an important part in African and Caribbean culture, you come together, you eat and you celebrate with food.
As part of Black History Month, students and staff have been sharing their favorite recipes and dishes with the EDI team. Thank you to everyone who has submitted.
A popular Ghanaian stew made from spinach, fish and meat, commonly served with steamed rice, yams and plantains.
Ingredients
• 2 bundles of coco yam leaves (kontomire) or spinach• 4 medium sized tomatoes• 2 large onions• Meat chunks (lamb or beef)• Smoked fish• Agushi( Ground melon)• Palm oil• Dried ground shrimp• 1 clove garlic• Salt• Green pepper• Ginger• Maggi cube
Instructions
1. Cut meat into pieces, wash and season with a bit of salt, garlic and ginger.2. Place in a cooking pot and put on fire, cook till its tender.3. Grind pepper and tomatoes and slice the onions.4. Pick, wash and chop the kontomire or spinach leaves, and cook for 2mins.5. Heat oil in a saucepan, fry onions and pepper for 2mins, add dried ground shrimps, the blended tomatoes and pepper and maggi cube6. Cook for another 10mins. Add meat with the stock and fish. Stir and allow to simmer for a few minutes.7. Mix the agushi (Ground melon) with water and add to the sauce.8. Add the leaves when the agushi is cooked and simmer for about 5 mins.9. Serve hot with boiled plantain, yam, rice and coco yam.
Green fig and saltfish is the national dish of the island of St. Lucia and is often served during the festival of Jounen Kweyol.
• 2 lb green bananas • 1 lb salted cod • 1 onion , thinly sliced • 2 cloves garlic , chopped • 3 pickled peppers , thinly sliced • ¼ cabbage , shredded (optional) • 2 tomatoes , diced • 2 sprigs thyme , chopped • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • Salt • Pepper
1. Place salted cod in a bowl of cold water and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, changing the water 2 or 3 times.2. Cut the ends of each banana and discard.3. Make a shallow cut down the length of the bananas.4. Place the bananas in a deep pan, cover with water and bring to a boil.5. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.6. Drain and cool.7. Meanwhile, take cod out of the refrigerator and drain.8. Place in a pot, cover with water and boil for about 25 minutes.9. Rinse with cold water and drain. Crumble the fish, taking care to remove the bones if any.10. Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in a deep pan.11. Add cod, and lower heat.12. Sauté for about 5 minutes.13. Add onion, garlic, peppers, black pepper and thyme and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.14. Add the shredded cabbage and stir.15. Peel the bananas. Cut 1-inch (2,5cm) pieces diagonally and sprinkle with salt.16. Add bananas to cod mixture.17. Mix well so that the green bananas take the flavors of the cod and seasonings.18. Cook for 5 minutes then add the tomato and parsley. Stir, cover the pan and turn off the heat.19. Wait 5 minutes before uncovering, then serve.
If there was one dish that really represents Grenadian cuisine, it is definitely the oil down. This is the traditional dish of the island.
• 2 lb salted cod , cut into chunks • 1 large breadfruit , peeled and cut into pieces (or 2 potatoes) • ½ lb taro leaves (or spinach leaves), chopped • 2 stalks celery • 3 carrots, sliced • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped • 3 onions, sliced • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 2 red hot peppers, thinly diced • 2 sprigs thyme • A few stems of chives, finely chopped • 1 teaspoon turmeric • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated • ½ teaspoon nutmeg • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped • ½ cup coconut milk • 1 cup heavy cream • Salt • Pepper • 5 tablespoons canola oil
1. Cut the cod into large pieces and place in a colander.2. Immerse the colander into a large container filled with water and put it in the refrigerator.3. Desalt for 24 hours, changing the water as often as possible.4. In a cast iron pan preferably, sauté the onions over medium-low heat.5. Add the hot pepper, garlic, chives, ginger, thyme, and parsley and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.6. Add the breadfruit, carrots, green bell pepper, celery and taro leaves.7. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes over medium / high heat.8. Add coconut milk, heavy cream, nutmeg and turmeric.9. Carefully place the fish in the sauce.10. Add salt and pepper.11. Cook for 50 minutes total. 25 minutes over medium heat and 25 minutes over low heat until sauce is reduced.
“Jollof rice is a West African dish. The recipes vary from different countries, different regions and different families with many claiming that their variation is the best. I wouldn’t know very much about that, but what I do know is that my jollof rice reminds my husband of his mother’s cooking. Last year I married a wonderful man who would describe himself as British born Ghanaian. His mother came from a small village in the Volta region of Ghana and immigrated to London a few years before he was born to work as a nurse and midwife. Growing up my husband would eat jollof rice a few times a week, sometimes with additional ingredients like corned beef or turkey tail thrown in. I started to learn to cook Ghanaian food as a surprise for my husband as his parents passed away and he does not have much family. Jollof rice is his favourite and now appears regularly on our menu usually coupled with shito, salad and some kind of meat, usually chicken or steak”.
• 2 onions• 2 tablespoons of vegetable• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes• Half a tube of tomato puree• 2 chillies• Fresh garlic• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil• 2 teaspoons of curry powder• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger• 1 teaspoon of dried mix hers• 3 chicken stock cubes• 2 ½ cups of basmati rice• 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables• ½ cup of waterInstructions
1. Put 2 onions and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a blender and blend until smooth, set aside.2. Put 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, about half a tube of tomato puree, some chillies (I usually stick a couple in), some fresh garlic if you have it and blend until smooth.3. Heat 1/3 cup of vegetable oil in a large pan. Add the onion puree and cook for about 10 minutes – The puree should just start to brown4. Add the blended tomato mixture, 2 teaspoons of curry powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs and 3 chicken stock cubes. Cook for 20 – 30 minutes. 5. Add 2 ½ cups of basmati rice, 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables, 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat cover and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the rice is cooked through and all the liquid absorbed.
“I first discovered it when it started as a small food van in the local shopping centre. I then rediscovered it as it managed to get a shop and continuously expand! I like to go with people who I am making friends with or people who have never tried Caribbean food. My favourite food is the festival with sweet spicy jerk chicken. Its sooooooo good!”
• 6 chicken legs
For the spice mix
• 3 tablespoons whole allspice • 3 tablespoons black peppercorns • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg • 2 bay leaves , crumbled
For the jerk paste
• 4 Scotch bonnet (or habanero chiles), stemmed and seeded • 4 scallions , trimmed and chopped • 4 garlic cloves , peeled • 1 (1-inch piece) fresh ginger , scrubbed • 1 teaspoon dried thyme • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • 2 tablespoons white vinegar • 4 tablespoons rum • 2 tablespoons orange juice • 4 tablespoons lime juice • 3 tablespoons brown sugar • Salt , to taste • Freshly ground black pepper , to taste
1. Mix all the dry spices in a food processor until getting a ground spice blend.2. Add all the other jerk paste ingredients and continue blending to until obtaining a paste.3. Place the chicken legs in a shallow container and rub the chicken legs with the paste. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.4. Set BBQ grill on high. After reaching at least 400F/200C, place the chicken legs, skin side down and cook for 10 minutes.5. Then, set grill at lowest possible setting, and flip the chicken legs. Grill until fully cooked, about 30 minutes.6. Serve with hard-dough bread, festivals (fried dumplings), rice and peas (beans) or salad.
A popular street food often eaten wth jerk chicken and escovitch fish.Serves 1 Person
• 4 ounce(s) all purpose flour• 2 teaspoon(s) baking powder• 8 ounce(s) Cornmeal• 2 ounce(s) sugar• 2 teaspoon(s) nutmeg, grated• 1 teaspoon(s) salt• 2 tablespoon(s) margarine• 1 teaspoon(s) lime juice• 1 cup(s) water• 1 cup(s) vegetable oil
1. In a large bowl sift flour, baking powder and cornmeal.2. Add sugar, nutmeg, salt, margarine and lime juice.3. Gradually add water, just enough to bind mixture to a manageable dough.4. Leave to relax for two minutes.5. Heat vegetable Oil in a large frying pan, shape dough into fingers and fry until golden brown.6. Drain on absorbent paper.