Cookbook 4: Classic African: Authentic recipes from an ancient cuisine

Tonight’s meal was from Classic African: Authentic recipes from an ancient cuisine, available at second hand from Amazon. As this book is now out of print, it would appear that most of the recipes are available on the internet, so I will link to them below.

I forgot to take photos of the dishes this time, but on the other hand we timed it perfectly and everything was ready at once, which makes me really happy.  Sadly I didn’t enjoy the meal all that much, I’m not sure which of the flavours I disagreed with, but on the other hand the bread was amazing.

Lamb Tagine with Coriander and Spices

This recipe is available on the internet, so I’m linking to it above.

Egusi Spinach and Egg

We substituted ground almonds (and ground hazelnuts as I ran out of ground almonds) for Egusi in this recipe.

Mandazi

Ingredients:

• 4 – 5 cardamom pods
• 450g/1lb/4 cups self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking power
• 1 egg beaten
• 30 mL/3 tbsp vegetable oil (plus oil for deep frying)
• 225 mL/7 floz/7/8 cup milk or water

Method:

1.  Crush each cardamom pod, shake out the seeds and grind them in a small pestle and mortar.  Place in a large bowl with the flour, sugar and baking powder.  Stir well.
2. Put the egg and oil in a small bowl and beat together, then add to the flour mixture.  Mix with your fingers, gradually adding the milk or water to make dough.
3. Lightly knead the dough until smooth and not sticky when a finger is pushed into it, adding more flour if necessary.  Leave in a warm place for 15 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough to about 1cm/0.5in thickness and cut into a 6cm/2.5in rounds.  Heat the oil and deep fry the mandazis for 4 – 5 minutes, until golden brown, turning frequently in the oil.

Notes from this recipe:

• Make sure you have the oil at a medium heat so that they cook slowly and cook all the way through
• The flatter and more even the dough after you roll it out, the more evenly the bread will cook (unsurprisingly)