Ghee

This is like clarified butter.

Heat butter until milk solids separate out.
Skim off solids, save them, and use for flavoring vegetables.
What is left after the solids are removed is a clear yellow liquid, ghee.
Ghee does not burn at high temperatures, and it does not go rancid nearly as quickly as whole butter.

Coconut Milk

1 cup chopped fresh coconut*
1 cup hot water

Place coconut and hot water in blender container.
Cover and blend on high speed until coconut is finely chopped.
Strain through several layers of cheesecloth.
Cover and refrigerate no longer than 48 hours.

* To open coconut, puncture eyes of coconut with ice pick; drain liquid.
Bake coconut at 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Tap shell with hammer to open.
Cut meat out of shell. Pare brown skin from coconut meat.

Gestowe Soetpatats (Sweet Potatoes Slow-cooked in Butter, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon — South Africa)

Sweet potatoes, skinned, and thick-sliced
1 cup brown sugar, divided
2 or 4 cinnamon sticks, divided
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
Salt, to taste

In a heavy bottomed pot (cast iron Dutch oven) layer half the butter, sweet potato slices, sugar, salt and cinnamon sticks.
Start again with the butter and do layer for layer until done.
Do not add any water at all.
Place the lid on the pot and put on the stove over a low heat for about 2 1/2 hours.

You can also bake this with the same results.
This will keep for two days in the refrigerator.

Berbere (Ethiopa)

Use in soups and stews.

1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/4 cups (yes, cups) cayenne pepper
1/2 cup paprika
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

In a heavy saucepan, toast the first eight spices for 5 minutes.

Add remaining spices and continue stirring for about 12 minutes.

Cool and store it in a tightly covered glass jar.
This will keep in your refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Piripiri (Mozambique)

This is used in Mozambique’s fish and chicken dishes, and it can be used as marinade, basting sauce or a sauce for the table.

4 hot red peppers, crushed, or
2 heaping teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of two lemons
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
8 sprigs of parsley, chopped
1 cup butter, melted

Mix all ingredients together.

African Red Dip with Shrimp

The West African ata sauce is based on a homemade red pepper paste.
The paprika is “toasted” before it is added to bring out its characteristic flavor.

Ata Sauce
1 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons Red Pepper Paste
1 dozen chilled cooked shrimp

Mix chili sauce and Red Pepper Paste.
Serve with chilled cooked shrimp.

Red Pepper Paste
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 of a medium onion
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup paprika

Place all ingredients except paprika in blender container.
Cover and blend on high speed until smooth, scraping sides of blender frequently.

Heat paprika in 1-quart saucepan for 1 minute.

Add spice mixture gradually, stirring until smooth.
Heat, stirring occasionally, until hot — about 3 minutes; cool.

Spiced Cottage Cheese with Greens (Gomen Kitfo — Ethiopia)

1 (12 ounce) carton cottage cheese
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
1 clove garlic, cut into halves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 green chile, seeded and minced
1 to 2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
2 pounds fresh collard greens or spinach, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons ghee or butter

Mix cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons ghee, garlic, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in medium bowl.
Let stand 15 minutes; remove garlic.

Cook onion, chili, gingerroot and collard greens in 2 tablespoons ghee in Dutch oven until tender; drain.

Serve collard greens over cottage cheese.

Yields 6 servings.

Fish Stew with Vegetables

This may be the predecessor of Louisiana’s gumbos.
The okra acts as a thickening agent.

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
4 cups water
1 cup uncooked regular rice
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (10 ounce) package frozen okra pods
1 (10 ounce) package frozen green beans
3 cups sliced cabbage
1 1/2 pounds catfish, perch, bass
fillets, cut into serving pieces

Heat tomato sauce, water, rice, carrots, onion, salt and red pepper in Dutch oven to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and cook 10 minutes.

Rinse okra and green beans under running cold water to separate; drain.
Cut okra lengthwise into halves.
Add okra, green beans, cabbage and fish to Dutch oven.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and cook until fish flakes easily with fork and vegetables are tender — 10 to 12 minutes.

Yields 8 servings.

Squash and Yams (Futari)

1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound Hubbard squash, pared and
cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium yams or sweet potatoes,
pared and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cook and stir onion in oil in skillet over medium heat until tender.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender — about 5 minutes longer.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Beef in Pepper Sauce (Zilzil Alecha — Ethiopia)

Serve over hot cooked rice.

1 (2 pound) beef boneless sirloin or top
loin steak, 3/4 inch thick
2 medium red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, cut into fourths
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped gingerroot
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips

Trim fat from beef; cut beef across grain into 1 1/2 x 1/2-inch strips.

Place chopped peppers, jalapeño peppers, garlic, wine, gingerroot, salt, turmeric and cardamom in blender container. Cover and blend on medium-high speed, stopping blender occasionally to scrape sides, until mixed, about 45 seconds.

Heat butter and oil in 12-inch skillet until hot.
Cook and stir beef over medium-high heat until all liquid from beef is evaporated and beef is brown, about 15 minutes; remove beef with slotted spoon.

Cook and stir onions and pepper strips in remaining oil mixture over medium heat until tender.

Add blended pepper mixture and beef.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beef is hot and sauce is slightly thickened — about 10 minutes.

Yields 8 servings.