Thanksgiving is finally coming and let's be real, we are more excited about the break, than spending time with our families. It is the time of the year where most people find excuses to go into a food coma. But if you are like me, you probably spend every day of your life eating like a pig and you do not wait for Thanksgiving to find an excuse to stuff yourself. I am Congolese-American and my Thanksgiving might be a bit different from the traditional American Thanksgiving. If you are African, you already know that you are going to eat your turkey with fufu instead of baked mac and cheese. If you are not African, but enjoy cooking, why not add a new dish to your table this holiday?
1. Pundu
Pundu is a traditional Congolese dish. It is a classic cassava leaves stew, or as we call it in my language, saka-saka. You can eat it with rice, fufu or plantains. Like the majority of African food, it can take up to 3 hours to cook, so make sure you give it enough time to cook because it can be harmful if it is not cooked well (don't you like danger?). Check out the recipe here.
2. Fufu
Fufu is eaten mainly in West Africa and some part of the Caribbean. It is often made with semolina or maze flour but there are many different ways to cook it. I am not a big fan of it, but many people enjoy it and why not try it for yourself? It is pretty easy and quick, so no excuses not to try this recipe! You can eat this with pretty much any vegetable or meat stew. Check out the recipe here
3. Jollof Rice
Jollof rice is a one-pot rice dish popular in many West African countries. It can be served with any kind of meat. I personally like it better with chicken (just to portray the stereotypes of the black person and his chicken). There are many arguments on which countries make the best Jollof rice, so all the Nigerians and Ghanaians please stand up. I picked the Ghana style only because it is the only one I have tested and I thought it was pretty good! Check out the recipe here
4. Bean and Plantain Pottage
This is a new and exciting way to cook beans, Nigerian-style. This could be a great alternative to a traditional casserole. All you have to do is cook the beans until they are soft, but without getting mashed, then you pretty much add up all the remaining ingredients, following the recipe. It is going to take you time, but by the look of the final result, it is going to be worth it! Save me some if you try this over the holiday. Check out the recipe here
5. Melktert
This is always my favorite part of the entire meal: the dessert. Melktert means "milk tart" in Afrikaans. It is a traditional South African dessert. It consists of a sweet pastry crust, containing a creamy filling made from milk, flour, sugar and eggs. Doesn't that all sound just a-maz-ing?! And there are so many varieties of this dessert, that you cannot go wrong. Check out the recipe for the traditional, condensed milk, vegan and chocolate tarts.
6. Plantains
Because I am a lazy person, but I like to try new things, I can understand that some people would not want to spend time learning a new recipe, so this is for all my lazy people out there. All you have to do is peel them and then cook them - fry or boil them, your choice. No recipe needed! You are welcome!
