WHAT'S TO EAT AND DRINK? AN AFRICAN MENU

African cuisine is a generalized term collectively referring to the cuisines of Africa.  The continent of Africa is the second largest landmass on Earth, and is home to hundreds of different cultural and ethnic groups. This diversity is also reflected in the many local culinary traditions in terms of choice of ingredients, as well as in the style of preparation and cooking techniques. Traditionally, the various cuisines of Africa use a combination of locally available fruits, cereal grains and vegetables, as well as milk and meat products. In some parts of the continent, the traditional diet features a preponderance of milk, curd and whey products.  Depending on the region, there are also sometimes quite significant differences in the eating and drinking habits and proclivities throughout the continent's many populations. Central Africa, East Africa, the Horn of Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa each have their own distinctive dishes, preparation techniques, and tastes.

Enjoy these recipes for regionally specific cocktails, dinner recipes and dessert, tonight or any night!

COCKTAILS

"Dawa Cocktail”

Dawa means "medicine" or "magic potion" in Swahili.  In other words, a dawa is said to be so potent that it will cure whatever ails you. This cocktail is one of the most widely consumed cocktails in Kenya and has spread throughout North and South Africa. 

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon sugar or 1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 fluid ounces vodka

crushed ice cubes

1 whole lime, quartered with skin on

1 dawa stick, twisted in creamed honey

(A Dawa stick is a cocktail stick that resembles a yellow and green candy cane (but tastes nothing like it), but in your own home, you can replace the Dawa stick with a cocktail stick, a Popsicle stick, or simply a spoon.) 

Directions:

Put lime and sugar into a whisky tumbler. Crush limes slightly, add ice and pour in the vodka. At this point you twist a dawa stick into some honey and add the stick to the drink. A wooden honey stick or other type of stick twisted in honey will work. Muddle limes with dawa or honey stick. The more you crush the limes into the mixture and stir the sweeter the taste.

“African Violet Cocktail”

 

A three-layered cocktail consisting of white crème de cacao liqueur, blue curacao, and whisky. 

Ingredients:

½ fl oz white crème de cacao liqueur

½ fl oz blue curacao

½ fl oz whisky

1 shooter/shot glass

1 shot measure

1 barspoon/teaspoon

Directions:

Measure out and add to a shot glass 15ml of white crème de cacao liqueur and 15ml of blue curacao. Finally, add 15ml of whiskey to top the mixture. Serve!

“Kinka Cocktail”  

(Kinka Adapted From Merkato 55)

Ingredients:

1 ½ ounces Bacardi Gold rum

½ ounce Averna liqueur

1 ounce tamarind concentrate *

1 ounce freshly squeezed blood orange juice

½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Directions:

Shake ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into ice-filled rocks glass.

“South African Creamy Delight”

Ingredients:

1 fluid ounce vodka

2 ounces Amarula cream liqueur

2 ounces Irish cream (Bailey's)

2 ounces Amaretto

1 fluid ounce Kahlua

Directions:

Fill a high ball glass with ice. Pour ingredients so the vodka is FIRST and the Kahlua is LAST.

“Banana Dream”

Ingredients:

1/3 ounce banana liqueur

1/3 ounce Amarula cream liqueur

1/4 ounce cream

Directions:

Pour in glass of ice. Shake. Serve.

“Marula”

      

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces Vanilla vodka

1 ½ ounces Amarula cream liqueur

1 1/2 ounces half and half

Directions:

Mix vanilla vodka and Amarula cream together with ice in a martini shaker, strain and pour into a glass; or serve over ice. 

“South African Rooibos (Redbush) Iced Tea”

(non-alcoholic)

Rooibos tea (known also as Redbush), grown in South Africa, is naturally caffeine free and low in tannins. You can also buy Organic Rooibos which is even better. This iced tea lasts for ages in the fridge and it's really light and refreshing! You can make substitutes to your own tastes too.

Ingredients:

8 rooibos tea bags

4 stalks mint

1 lemon

1 orange

2 slices ginger

1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Directions:

Cut the orange and lemon into 4 thick slices each. Put all the ingredients into a glass jug and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for 30 minutes. Strain, lightly squeezing the excess liquid from the teabags, fruit and mint. Pour strained tea into a 2L container and top up with cold water. Serve over ice with a little sugar syrup (if you like it sweeter) and a few slices of mixed citrus fruit.  

DINNER:

“African Chicken Stew”

Ingredients:

 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (3 pound) roasting chicken, deboned and cut into bite size pieces

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, chopped

1 large potato, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

3/4 cup unsalted natural-style peanut butter

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken, and brown quickly. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat to medium low, and add garlic, onion and potato to the pan; saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with cumin, coriander, black pepper, red pepper and salt. Do not let garlic brown.  Mix in water and browned chicken, and any accumulated juices. Place lid on skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove lid, and stir in the peanut butter and garbanzo beans. Make sure the peanut butter is blended in. Replace lid to simmer for 10 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning, and serve.

“Mala Mala Fire Salad” 

Ingredients:

5 - 6 ripe tomatoes

4 - 5 ribs celery, thinly sliced

4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1/4 cup hot chili oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

Salt to taste

Pinch of sugar

Directions:

Halve tomatoes and with hands, gently squeeze out some of the juice and seeds before putting in a large bowl. Add celery and eggs. Drizzle with pepper oil and vinegar. Add salt and sugar and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately at room temperature.  

“Jollof Rice”

 

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1/2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 cups water

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 cup diced carrots

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1 to 2 inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions: 

Pour oil into large saucepan. Cook onion in oil over medium-low heat until translucent. Stir in stewed tomatoes and tomato paste, and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce and rosemary. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir in water, and add chicken pieces. Simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir in rice, carrots, and green beans, and season with nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender and the rice is cooked, 25 to 30 minutes. 

DESSERT:

“Cassava Cake”

  

The cassava root is long and tapered, with a firm homogeneous flesh encased in a detachable rind, about 1mm thick, rough and brown on the outside. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs grated cassava

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)

1 (13 ounce) can coconut cream (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs, plus

3 egg whites

1 cup grated coconut

Topping:

3 egg yolks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° f. In large mixing bowl combine cake ingredients. Mix well. Pour equally into two large greased rectangular pans. Bake until top is no longer liquid (approximately 30 minutes). Mix topping ingredients well and spread evenly on the two cakes. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely. Slice each cake into 24 equal squares.

---Original reporting with adaptations from Recipezaar.com, NYTIMES.COM, Wikipedia, and  http://www.robinbenzle.com/.