Cooking traditional African meals can be a serious labor of love, often involving hours of prep work, slow simmering, and a long list of ingredients. However, these days, you can bring these delicious dishes to life faster without sacrificing their authenticity. At My Sasun African Market, we understand the need for convenience in today’s busy world while keeping the essence of African cuisine intact.
Time-Saving Hacks for African Cooking
Don’t let a busy schedule stop you from cooking the meals you love! Here are some tips and tricks to help you prepare traditional African meals more efficiently:
1. Batch Cooking Stews and Soups
African stews and soups are the stars of the cuisine-whether it’s Nigerian Egusi, Ghanaian Groundnut Soup, or Ethiopian Doro Wat. Cook large portions of stews, soups, or sauces and freeze them in small containers. When you're ready for a quick meal, simply defrost the portion you need and heat it up.
2. Chop Vegetables in Advance
Traditional African dishes like Jollof rice, Efo Riro, or Senegalese Yassa often require chopping multiple vegetables and meats. For longer storage, place your chopped vegetables in freezer bags and freeze them.
3. Embrace Slow Cooking
Many African dishes, from beans and rice to stews and meats, benefit from slow cooking to enhance flavor and tenderize tough cuts. Cooking tough proteins like goat meat, cow foot, or oxtail is made easier with slow cooking.
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
4. Pre-Made Spice Blends
In African cooking, homemade spice blends are key to the rich flavors we know and love, but making these spice blends from scratch can be time-consuming.
5. Instant Fufu Solutions
One of the most beloved staples in many African households is fufu, a starchy side dish made from ingredients like cassava, yams, or plantains. Invest in instant fufu or pounded yam flour, which allows you to prepare this dish in minutes using the microwave.
6. Perfectly Cooked Greens
Dishes like East African Sukuma Wiki (collard greens) and Nigerian Efo Riro (spinach stew) require hearty greens to be cooked until tender. Immediately transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
7. Canned and Frozen Alternatives
Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of waiting for dried beans to cook, or for fresh tomatoes to simmer into a rich sauce.
8. Stock Up on Flavorful Stock
Rich, flavorful stock is the base for many African dishes, whether you’re making pepper soup, ogbono soup, or chicken Yassa. Freeze the stock in ice cube trays. When you need some for cooking, just pop out a few cubes, and you're good to go.
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
9. Rice Dish Variety
African cuisine includes a wide variety of rice dishes like Jollof rice, pilau, and fried rice.
10. One-Pot Meals
One-pot meals are a fantastic way to cut down on the number of dishes you need to wash and the time it takes to prepare food. Combine ingredients in one pot to cook together.
By implementing these hacks, you can cut down the time it takes to prepare traditional African meals while still enjoying the bold flavors and rich heritage of African foods.
How To Make Nigerian Jollof Rice and Chicken Stew
Spotlight on African Chop
Meet Opportune Akendeu, the founder and Executive Chef at African Chop, the first African food truck in Los Angeles. Opportune's journey began when she moved from Cameroon to Los Angeles at the age of 14. In 2016, she, along with her business partners Hector Tantoh & Sheiley Asana, launched African Chop to serve delicious West African dishes.
African Chop stands out for its fresh take on classic West African dishes, inspired by fond memories of home. Their menu features a tight but focused selection, with their jollof rice being a standout dish. Opportune is proud to have created a company that caters to various dietary needs, offering vegan, vegetarian, and meat options.
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
The African Chop Experience
Embark on a culinary journey with African Chop, a vibrant and satisfying one-pot dish that celebrates bold flavors and wholesome ingredients. Juicy, seared chicken thighs are nestled in a rich, spiced tomato and peanut butter-based sauce brimming with tender vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, and fresh spinach. Infused with aromatic garlic, ginger, and fragrant spices such as smoked paprika and cumin, this comforting stew is simmered to perfection, creating layers of depth in every bite. Served over fluffy white rice and topped with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, African Chop is an easy, hearty meal perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions.
African Chop Recipe
Here's a simple recipe to recreate the flavors of African Chop at home:
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear them for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and add the onions.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots.
- Add the chili powder, smoked paprika, and ground cumin to the vegetables.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Return the seared chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side up, and cover the skillet with a lid.
- After 25 minutes, remove the lid and stir in the peanut butter, allowing it to melt into the sauce.
- Serve the African Chop hot over a bed of cooked white rice.
Ndolé Cooking Class with African Chop
Join the Fowler, Opportune, and Hector for a special chance to learn how to cook a regional specialty: ndolé, a dish consisting of stewed nuts, ndoleh (bitter leaves indigenous to West Africa), and fish or beef, with optional add-ins like prawns and rice, and a side of boiled plantains.
Equipment Needed:
- Blender
- Chef knife
- Utility knife
- Stove top
- Frying pan
- (2) Medium Size Pot
- Standard Strainer
- Kitchen towel
- Apron
Ndolé Ingredients (serves 6-8):
- 1lb fresh frozen (not dried) bitter leaves (purchase at markets listed below or online. If you cannot find bitter leaves, you can substitute fresh, finely-chopped spinach or collard greens)
- 3-4 Maggi cubes (2 Tablespoons bouillon)
- 1 large red onion
- 6-7 cloves garlic
- 1-3 habanero
- 1/2 - 1 Inch Ginger
- 1lb wild shrimp (Peeled & Deveined)
- Salt (Himalayan preferred)
- 2 1/2 cups peanut (raw, unsalted, skinless)
- 3/4 Cup Crayfish (ground)
- 1lb Beef or Goat meat (Chop into little chunks and boiled, see below)
- 1/2 Pound Smoked dry fish (ie: mackerel or catfish)
- 2-3 cups vegetable oil
- 3 Pound spinach (Frozen chopped spinach)
- 4-6 Plantains (Preferred Yellow not ripe)
P.S Can be eaten with boiled yams or basmati rice too
Prep in advance (30 minutes): Boil your Beef or Goat or mixed meat in a pot with enough water to cover the meat by 2inch, a little salt and half of the red onions chopped until meat is tender to your liking.
