Cuisine the African Way

Northern Africa

Algeria

Rechta is a traditional Algerian dish consisting of thin and flat noodles and chicken sauce. The noodles are made with flour, salt, water, and ghee. The sauce is made with chicken pieces, onions, garlic, oil, chickpeas, ras el hanout, cinnamon, turnips, potatoes, and zucchini. When the dish is done the rechta noodles are put into a dish and covered with the sauce.

Egypt

Domiati is a pickled white cheese originating from Egypt. It is made from raw or pasteurized cow’s and buffalo’s milk. After three or six months, the cheese is ready to be eaten as semi-ripened or well-ripened, respectively. It can have a salty flavor while the texture is soft. This cheese was named after Damiata, a port city in Egypt.

Umm ali is a dessert that has different variations. Bread or puff pastry is divided into pieces and mixed with sugar, milk, and coconut flakes. Then the mixture is sprinkled with raisins, pistachios, and cinnamon and baked in the over until golden brown. It can be served hot or cold.

Hawawshi is a popular Egyptian snack consisting of a traditional baladi bread, in appearance similar to the famous pita pockets, stuffed with a flavorful mixture of minced meat, vegetables, and various spices. The seasoned meat mixture is placed inside the bread dough and baked until it is a golden color.

Libya

Bazin is a popular Libyan unleavened bread (also considered a dough-based dish) made by boiling barley flour and salt in water and beating it with a stick called magraf until it develops into a dough which is then baked or steamed. The bread is characterized by its hard texture, achieved by the usage of large amounts of salt. This type of bread is served with a tomato-based stew, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and mutton.

Morocco

Sfenj are popular Moroccan doughnut-like fritters made from sticky unleavened batter. The dough is shaped into rings and deep-fried until the outside is golden and crispy. The interior should be fluffy, tender, and chewy. They can be eaten plain or dusted with powdered sugar.

Zaalouk is a traditional Moroccan salad prepared by cooking eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and flavorings such as cumin, paprika, coriander, and parsley. It is often served as a side dish or a spread on sandwiches.

Tunisia

Kafteji is a traditional Tunisian dish made with fried vegetables. The vegetables used include eggplants, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchinis, and pumpkins. The vegetables are fried, chopped, and combined with fried eggs and seasonings.

Lablabi is a Tunisian chickpea stew that is a hot and spicy dish. It is flavored with garlic, cumin, and harissa. Then ladled over chunks of crusty bread, drizzled with olive oil, and at times lemon or lime juice or vinegar. Some versions include capers, olives, and pickled vegetables.

Fricassee is a traditional Tunisian sandwich. The bread is made with flour, eggs, oil, salt, water, and yeast It is shaped into round or elongated rolls and fried in hot oil. The the sandwich is filled with tuna, hummus, boiled eggs, capers, olives, harissa, and boiled potatoes.

West Africa

Gambia

Domoda is the national dish of Gambia It is a peanut stew made with or without meat and served over fluffy rice. If meat is used in the dish, it is usually beef, bushmeat, or chicken. If Domoda is made without meat, usually pumpkins and sweet potatoes are added. The peanut sauce is prepared with ground peanuts, tomato paste, and fresh tomatoes mixed with onions or chili peppers.

Ghana

Although it originated in northern parts of Ghana, the rice-and-bean-based dish known as waakye is today consumed on a national level. The usual version of this dish includes fried plantains, the spaghetti-like talia, a black pepper sauce called shito, boiled eggs, avocados, a tomato-based soup which contains meat, and gari foto — a mashed sauce made with finely grated cassava.

Ghana and Ivory Coast

Fufu is very difficult to make, a process that starts by pounding cassava and unripe plantains together with a big wooden pole and mashing them while adding water. As it needs to be vigorously stirred, it usually takes two people to make it - one pounding it, and the other moving it around between the pounding. Once the mixture is smooth, it gets shaped into small balls that are then placed in a stew or soup with meat. dipping it into a stew gives fufu a spicy flavor that is slightly reminiscent of peanuts.

Senegal

Thieboudienne is the national dish of Senegal, an aromatic combination of fish, vegetables, and rice in a hearty tomato sauce flavored with garlic and chili. Fish, vegetables, and rice are usually served separately, with a few lime wedges on the side, used for squeezing the juice over fish.

Nigeria

Afang is a traditional soup from the southeastern parts of Nigeria. It's made with a combination of afang leaves, water leaves, dried fish, beef, onions, red palm oil, ground crayfish, and seasoning cubes. The afang leaves are ground or pounded and the onions are chopped before the beef is boiled with the onions and seasoning cubes in a small quantity of water. Once done, the dried fish is added along with palm oil, ground pepper. and afang leaves.

Maafe

This traditional stew, occasionally also referred as a sauce or soup, is enjoyed throughout West and Central Africa. It comes in numerous regional variations, but each version is created with roasted peanuts that are ground into flour and make the basic sauce of the dish. Ingredients added include tomato paste, fish or meat, usually beef, lamb, goat, or chicken, various vegetables, and numerous spices such as ginger, turmeric, coriander, or cinnamon

Central or Middle Africa

Cameroon

Poulet DG is a tasty Cameroonian poultry dish made with a combination of chicken and ripe plantains in a hearty tomato sauce. The dish is typically garnished with a variety of vegetables such as green beans, bell peppers, and carrots.

East Africa

Ethiopia

Shiro is an Ethiopian stew made with chickpeas or broad beans as main ingredients, along with garlic, onions, ginger, tomatoes, and chili peppers. The chickpeas give this stew a nice texture and nutty flavor, but they can be replaced by shiro powder, which is a combination of chickpea flour and various spices.

Tanzania

Mchicha is the most popular Tanzanian dish. This thick and creamy vegetarian meal is usually prepared with leafy vegetables such as amaranth or spinach with added grated coconut, coconut milk, peanut butter, tomatoes, and onions. It can be served with rice, ugali, or samp and beans on the side.

Southern Africa

South Africa

Hoenderpastei is a South African dish consisting of a shortcrust pastry shell filled with pieces of chicken, vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery, hard-boiled eggs, and seasonings such as pepper, lemon juice, salt, and bay leaves. Simple, yet delicious, hoenderpastei has been a street food favorite for many years in South Africa. It is recommended to prepare the pie a day in advance since it can be left in the fridge and baked when needed.

Vetkoek is an iconic South African street food item consisting of deep-fried yeast buns that are usually filled with cheese, curry, or fruit jams. It can be served as a small snack, for breakfast or lunch. The ball-shaped dough is made from salt, yeast, and flour.