Plantain Stew with Black Beans

If you're looking for a rich, plant-based meal, this is it. I was inspired to cook these plantains and make them the star of the dish like matoke, Uganda’s national dish that uses East African Highlands bananas. They are starchy bananas made into a stew and sometimes mashed, often mixed or served alongside stewed beef. I substitute the beef with mushrooms and still got a great flavour with simple spices and broth. This melody makes for a comforting dish that is mostly guilt-free!

Ugandan cuisine does have some elements also found in Zimbabwe such as ugali (thick corn porridge), but cooked bananas play an unparalleled role in the region as a whole which I don't see in Southern Africa.

Many people are familiar with fried plantains, but they are just as delicious stewed!

Since you already have starch in this dish, I would suggest pairing the plantains with some high protein beans! I seasoned my black beans with a pepper sauce, and it all came together perfectly.

Ingredients

2-3 plantains, chopped

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 dried peppers, finely chopped

8 ounces mushrooms (1/2 pound, cubed)

1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped

2 cups vegetable or beef broth

2 cups water

2 vegetable or beef bouillons

1/2 teaspoon Usavi mix

1/2 teaspoon coriander

Lemon juice

2 dried chili peppers, finely minced (keep the seeds for more heat)

1/3 cup tomato ragu sauce

Black beans:

1 tablespoon pepper sauce (I used Camella's kitchen)

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can black beans

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup tomato ragu sauce

1/4 cup water

Instructions

Cut your plantains or green bananas into small pieces lengthwise, toss in lemon juice and set aside.

Saute the onion and pepper in the vegetable oil, cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the spices, chilli peppers, and the garlic, cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the tomato, mushrooms, and ragu, cook for 5 minutes to sweat out the tomato.

Add the bouillons and water. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the plantains and the broth, season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Simmer for another 20 minutes or until the plantains have softened.

As the plantains simmer, prepare the beans (or whatever side you have in mind). Cook the onion, water, ragu, salt, and black pepper for about 3 minutes, until the onions softened.

Add the beans and pepper sauce, simmer for about 3-5 minutes, season to taste and serve with the plantain stew.

Serves 2-3 people!

Chickpea Curry with Flatbread

There's nothing like a hot curry served with warm flatbread and a condiment to cool the tongue. I love chickpea curry, and even if you’re an avid meat eater if seasoned right you’ll love it too. It's a good transitional dish if you're trying to eat less meat and adopt a plant-based diet.

Chickpea curry and flatbread work for weeknights, weekends, rainy days, winter days. The meal lacks much of the grease and calories we associate with other comfort food.

Chickpeas have several health benefits such as improving digestion and reducing cholesterol, while curry helps reduce inflammation and boosts your immune system.

If you're intimidated by making bread, this flatbread shortcut offers an easy fix and delicious side to your curry.

Ingredients

1/2 large red onion, chopped

1 heaped teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon hot Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

1/4 cup marsala cooking wine

1 vegetable bouillon

2 cups water

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup peeled tomatoes in sauce

1 teaspoon spicy mango chutney (I used Camella’s Kitchen’s)

1 tablespoon scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce (optional)

1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

Flatbread:

1 cup plant-based yoghurt

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tablespoon garlic and herb seasoning (optional - I used Primal Palate)

1 teaspoon baking powder

Video Tutorial

Instructions

Prepare your flatbread. You can store it in the warmer drawer until the curry is ready.

Mix the flour, baking powder, herbs, and yoghurt to form a soft dough. It may be slightly sticky. Using your hands or a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 4 parts and shape into flat, circular discs.

Brush them on one side with olive oil. On high heat in a greased skillet, cook the flatbreads until bubbles start to puff up, for about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 

Prepare your curry. In a pot, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil for about 3 minutes, until the onions start to soften.

Add your spices, cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant. 

Add the tomato paste, the cooking wine, the mango chutney, vegetable bouillon, water, coconut milk, peeled tomatoes and salt. Mix and reduce heat, simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, bay leaf, chili flakes, and scotch bonnet sauce, simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes. Mix occasionally to help thicken the curry. 

Serve hot with flatbread and chopped pineapples and bananas on the side. Enough for 2-4 people.

Sadza with Butter Bean Kale Relish

Ah yes, I love a meal that tastes like home. Home being Zimbabwe in this case. There's nothing like a plate of hot relish (stewed vegetables) and sadza (thick corn/maize meal porridge). This is considered one of the cornerstones of our cuisine and feeds millions of people across the country. It's kind of like how pasta is to the Italians dare I say!

Perhaps I'm biased, but it's some of the best-tasting comfort food, and not smothered in fat either. I made it vegan although some Zimbabweans would request some grilled or in-bone meat. You can do without it.

The one thing I'd insist you include if possible is the Usavi mix. It's a spice brand you'll find in most households but is essentially just a blend of cornstarch, salt, sugar, turmeric, coriander, garlic, fennel, methee/fenugreek, cumin, and paprika. Some people like to add curry powder to their relish, but I find that changes the flavour profile into something completely different. This is all about simple deliciousness!

Ingredients

1 can butter/Lima beans (keep the sauce)

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons Usavi mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons vegetable

3 cups chopped kale

Sadza:

1 cup white corn/maize meal

3/4 cup cold water

2 1/2 - 4 cups boiling water (depending on how thick you want your sadza)

1/2 teaspoonsalt

Instructions

Heat the olive oil and butter, saute the garlic and onions for about 3 minutes to sweat them out.

Add the Usavi mix, salt, and pepper, cook for another 2 minutes to bring out the flavours.

Add the chopped kale and cook until wilted down, then add the tomato and vegetable oil and fry for 2 minutes.

Add the beans along with the sauce from the can, chilli flakes, and water. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Prepare your sadza. In a pot, make a paste using the cold water and a 1/2 cup of maize meal, add the salt. When you add the cold water, do it gradually to keep control of the consistency of the paste, you don’t want clumps and it should all come together.

Place the pot over medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup of boiling water. With a wooden spoon, stir quickly and get rid of any lumps. You want a smooth porridge to form. If you need to, use a whisk! 

Add the rest of the hot water a 1/2 cup at a time, still stirring or whisking to ensure you still develop a smooth porridge. At this point, it will start to bubble or kwata. Reduce to medium-low heat and place a lid on top. Careful not to get burnt. Let the sadza cook for about 10 minutes.

Once cooked, fold in the rest of the corn/maize meal. You’ll want to use a twisting or figure-8 motion with your wooden spoon to make sure all the dry mix is coated and you incorporate air. This is the final step to make it a thick, dough-like consistency. You can add more corn/maize meal depending on the texture and consistency you want.

Put the lid back on and sit on low heat to allow the sadza to rest for about 5 minutes. You might hear it 'breathing' or puffing at this point. 

When ready to serve, dip your wooden spoon in some cold water to prevent too much sticking. Mould your sadza into a round shape and serve with your relish, enough for 2 people.

Tip: to smoothen your sadza use cling wrap as you shape it. 

Also, eat with your (washed) hands! It tastes better.

Creamy Mushroom Soup with Plantain Fufu

I love mushrooms and appreciate fufu even though I'm more familiar with its starchy cousin sadza (a thick maize/cornmeal porridge).

Fufu is pounded or ground cassava or yam cooked with water often served with vegetable relish, soup or meat stew. It is central to many West African dishes.

I used plantain fufu flour. I love plantains, and they are gluten-free, high in antioxidants, fibre and several other nutrients. You can use other types of ground or pounded root or starchy vegetable such as malanga.

Groundnut or pepper soup are commonly served with fufu, but I was inspired to use mushrooms instead, or more specifically nhedzi. This is a type of mushroom found in Zimbabwe often served as a rich broth-based soup. I used what I could get my hands on - namely dried shiitake (which helps add extra flavour) and cremini mushrooms. I add the coconut milk element to make the soup creamier. Not surprisingly, cream of mushroom soup is very popular, I hope you try the recipe out!

Ingredients

1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated

1 1/2 cups frozen cremini mushrooms

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons Worchester sauce

1/4 cup cooking marsala wine

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

2 tablespoons thyme

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon Royco Usavi mix (optional)

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup coconut milk (or heavy cream)

1 vegetable bouillon

2 cups water

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Plantain fufu:

1/2 - 1 cup plantain fufu powder (I used Tropiway’s)

1-2 cups water

Depends on how much you need for serving.

Instructions

In a medium pan, fry the shiitake mushrooms in vegetable oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons Worchester sauce.
Fry for 5-7 minutes, or until the mushrooms start to crisp up around the edges without burning, set aside.

In a large pot, saute the onions and minced garlic in butter and olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 tablespoon Usavi mix, and 1 tablespoon thyme. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

Add the frozen mushrooms to the pot, cook until the water has melted and the mushrooms are mixed in well. Add the vegetable bouillon (crush it), water, and cooking wine. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until the soup begins to thicken and it's completely dissolved. Add the coconut or cream and 3/4 of the shiitake mushrooms, simmer for another 5 minutes.

In another pot, prepare the fufu according to the box's instructions. All you will need is water and the fufu powder, which you will knead and shape with a wooden spoon and your hands into a dough.

Serve the fufu ball(s) with the soup ladled on top or to the side with the rest of the fried mushrooms.

Lentil Peanut Stew

Dhal is a lentil or split pea curry popular in parts of the Caribbean with its origins in India. In Zimbabwe, peanut stew involves cooking peanut butter with chili, spices, vegetables and starch or protein (typically chicken). The dish is common in many other parts of West and southern Africa.

I had to combined the two and it worked seamlessly! This is in no way an exact rendition of either dish, I'm not an expert.

This is based this off what I have tasted eating at various restaurants, grew up eating in my own culture as a Zimbabwean, and read.

I wanted to serve the stew with plantains so I needed a thicker consistency but dhal is typically blended into a soup texture. You can do what works best for you. I did, however, add sautéed garlic and cumin, which is meant to add a smoky element to the dhal.

This is a hearty, tasty meal perfect for weeknights, enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups lentils

1/2 large sweet potato, diced

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups water

2 tablespoons Worchester sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon hot madras curry powder

1 tomato + 1/3 cup tomato sauce

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 small chili pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons palm oil (or vegetable oil)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 scallion, chopped

2 bay leaves

Instructions

Wash the lentils and sweet potato.

In a large pot mix in the lentils with palm oil and the spices. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the onions, chili pepper, sweet potato and scallion, cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, sauce, and tomato. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the water and coconut milk, then simmer for about 25 minutes with the bay leaves until the sweet potato is softened and the lentils break down easily.

About halfway through add the peanut and stir until incorporated.

In a small separate pan, heat the garlic and cumin until almost burnt, then add to the stew. Remove the bay leaves.

Serve hot with plantains, rice or flatbread.

Pina Colada Pancakes

Who doesn't like a good Pina Colada? The coconut milk and pineapple juice cocktail is laced with rum to give it a nice tropical punch. Why not transfer this to the breakfast classic pancakes? The drink is said to have originated in Puerto Rico.

No alcohol required of course! (Unless brunch cocktails are involved).

All you need to do is substitute the milk and add the pineapple for some added moisture.

Make it a fun pancake board while you're at it and bring out the cherries and coconut flakes! If you can get those fancy cocktail umbrellas, all the better.

These pancakes are quite moist, ladle them on the thinner side to make sure they are cooked through.

Ingredients

1/2 cup pineapple, finely chopped

2 cups of coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon rum extract

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 bananas

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water (optional)

1 teaspoon granulated or coconut sugar

Cooking spray or vegan butter

Instructions

Mash the bananas, then mix in the finely chopped pineapple.

Add the rum extract and coconut oil, mix well, then add the coconut milk.

Add the sugar, coconut, and all-purpose flours and mix until the batter is evenly incorporated and wet, try not to overmix.

Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto a griddle or greased non-stick pan. When you start to see bubbles and the edges start to come off the pan, flip.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side until they are done.

Makes about 10-12 pancakes. Serve with cherries, pineapple, coconut flakes, and syrup.

Finger Millet Peanut Butter Porridge

Most people enjoy porridge as oatmeal, but it's also quite popular in cornmeal form with an array of toppings. I grew up eating it pretty plain, save for butter, sugar, honey or peanut butter. I used to love it in the morning before school, especially during the winter. Porridge is a very popular breakfast option for most Zimbabweans. It's cheap and can keep you full for hours. Peanuts also feature prominently in African cuisine, so you won't find a shortage of meals that include them. Luckily, peanut butter is amazing! Ground millet is a healthier option with tons of calcium and tastes better than ground cornmeal porridge in my opinion. So try this recipe out, it's comforting and delicious!

Ingredients

1 cup finger millet, ground and toasted

2 1/2 cups hot water

1 cup cold water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon butter

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon peanuts (to garnish)

Instructions

Combine the millet and cold water to make a paste.

Add the boiled water and stir with a wooden spoon or whisk to remove the lumps.

Reduce the temperature and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot with sugar, honey, butter, and peanut butter.

Tricolor Vegan Pasta

This dish was inspired by the Tris Signature gnocchi served at Gnoccheria by Luzzo’s in New York City. The plate caught my eye on Instagram where it continues to trend due to the striking colors and love for saucy pasta. This version is on the healthier side with the omission of heavy cream and cheese, but it's still a delightful, quick, and easy meal!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups tricolor rotini (or whatever pasta you have)

6 tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil

6 tablespoons flour

3 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups spinach

1/2 hass avocado

3 teaspoons black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons Worchester sauce

3 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup tomato ragu

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

Step  1

Cook the pasta according to the packet and drain each portion separately.(Separate the noodles by color before cooking, it will make it easier but is worth it if have the tricolor available. This should equate to a 1/2 cup for each portion).

Step 2

For the vegan alfredo sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Worchester sauce, 1/2 cup broth, the olive oil, lemon juice, and coconut milk, mix until combined.  Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour to thicken the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes. (Depending on how saucy you like your pasta, add more coconut milk).

Mix in the regular colored pasta and mustard, set aside.

Step 3

For the spinach avocado sauce: Blend the avocado and spinach with a little bit of vegetable broth or water until smooth. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Worchester sauce, 1/2 cup broth, the olive oil, lemon juice, blended spinach avocado, and the parsley, fresh thyme, and cilantro. Mix until combined.  Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour to thicken the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes. (Depending on how saucy you like your pasta, add more vegetable broth).

Mix in the green colored pasta and set aside.

Step 4

For the spicy tomato sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Worchester sauce, 1/2 cup broth, the olive oil, lemon juice, tomato ragu, and the chili flakes, mix until combined. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour to thicken the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes. (Depending on how saucy you like your pasta, add more ragu).

Mix in the red colored pasta and set aside.

Note: You can also melt the butter and add the flour to form the roux first, then add the other ingredients.

When ready to serve, heat the portions individually and garnish to your liking.