Learn To Cook Your Favourite Dish!

Cookery is the art and act of preparing food. In Africa, it is widely believed that only women cook. This is really funny because even some wives believe that it is normal that men don’t cook. 

This to them is a gift for them as women too always have a way of getting and treating men well. I do not buy this view in its totality. Cooking is an art, it is fun. It actually feels good to know how to prepare your favourite meal.

When you cook your meals you are sure of everything, the salt, pepper, oil etc. in it. Cleanliness too is vital in cookery. If we can see where the food, we buy every day is cooked then it would be a better reason for us to start cooking our meals. I also acknowledge the fact that due to the busy nature of our schedules, we might not be able to cook always but at least it would be cooler if we learn to cook something that we like the most. Imagine the life of a man who cannot fry simple dough for himself, a man who cannot prepare a salad for himself.

Well, home training is also an important factor to consider in this line. Since most of the times boys are given more chances to play than girls (which is gender-biased), they grow up without knowing a thing in the kitchen. 

Learn To Cook Your Favourite Dish!

They only get back home when food is ready. It is necessary to raise your kids without giving based roles. That way they will fit better in the society. Knowing how to cook your best meal feels awesome, no one can condition your appetite. It could a source of relaxation or relief when you are stressed up. It is an art. Just go into the kitchen when bored and have fun preparing something great. 

I come from a background where flour from maize is consumed more than anything with leafy vegetables. I would have been like a lot of guys (who cannot food) out there but fortunately or unfortunately for me, I grew up amongst boys and we all had to do chores like girls. We had to keep pots shining, wash dishes, work in the farm, fetch wood, carry water. These are typical activities of children.

While we grew up, I was fortunate as the first grandchild then to always sit by our granny. I watched everything she did and sometimes she gave me the opportunity to complete a cookery task. This is how I became a fan of cooking. Now to tell you the truth, I love corn fufu and huckleberries. This is the only meal that I can eat for a year without complaining. I also enjoy rice and beans but not as much as the former. Now a lot of you reading this have no idea about cornfufu. I am happy to tell you how I can cook my best meal. I would enjoin to you read this carefully and start thinking of how to start enjoying what I do enjoy like always. If you are open to new things, then let’s rediscover or discover this.

Recipes

Well dried healthy corn grains, fresh huckleberries (some people call it simple vegetables while others call it in local parlance as Njama Njama), pepper, salt, maggi, vegetable oil, chicken (optional), onions, tomatoes.

Preparation

You have to get your corn into powder. Some people prefer that the corn be peeled before it is ground but to me, I like my cornflour natural. Now the thing with peeling before grinding is that the peeling removes the healthiest part in the corn and leaves with you nothing but starch. Even the peel that is removed in the process is necessary in digestion. It is naturally made with a high roughage value. This whole process of getting the corn fufu ready can be like 45 to 60mins.

Use a good sieve and sifter the cornflour after grinding it. Fill the pot you intend to use with water. The water should be about ¾ of the pot.

The water needs to be much because you will need to use it in controlling the consistency of your corn fufu if it is hard. Corn behaves variably. Corn from the centre, north and west don’t react in the same way. So if you are used to one, you might be careful in your estimations.

You also need to keep some flour on standby, in case your mixture goes too soft. You will have to add some flour to bring it to your taste.

Set the pot on the fire and allow the water to boil.

Take some water and save it in a bowl leaving just a little in the pot.

Take a saucer full of flour and mix well in a small bowl with mild warm water. Note that it is mild-warm water (Just mix the hot water you have removed with cold water) and pour it in the pot.

Stir the mixture for a while with a bamboo turner or you can use a wooden spoon.

Stir until the paste starts bubbling.

Add water if it is too thick. This is because the hot paste is going to determine the consistency of your cornfufu. You can add water depending on the quantity of flour you want to cook.

Add some flour and starting stirring. Here you need to use some force because it is going to get hard as you mix.

Stir until all flour is mixed and blended in the process.

Add more water, cover the pot and allow it cook for some 15mins. This depends on your fire level.

Open the pot and stir your mixture to another blend. Add water if it is too hard. Turn it severally to desired consistency and cover the pot to cook again for 5mins.

Finally, and open and stir to confirm your final mixture. If you are okay with texture and mixture, then you can put off the fire.

Once your cornfufu is out from the fire, you can decide to put it directly in a food flask or you wrap it on warm banana leaves.

The vegetable section is not too complicated. You just need to fix and select the good leaves, removing every strong stalks or stem. There are some with very large leaves, you can slice those or if they are the smaller ones then just go straight and wash them. Put them on a drainer.

Set the pot on the fire and add small water.

When the water boils, you can then add the huckleberries.

Parboil the huckleberries and put off the fire.

Pour the vegetables into a drainer and then squeeze out the water from it.

Now if you had some chicken then you roast it too.

Set a clean pot on the fire, let it be dry then you can add some vegetable oil.

Pour your sliced onions into the oil and fry. Stir with a wooden spoon until it is ready.

Add the sliced tomatoes. And stir until the tomatoes is cooked.

Add some water to mixture.

Add salt, maggi (seasoning), pepper to taste.

Add your squeezed vegetables and turn to mix well.

Add your chicken and allow to cook for some 20mins or more.

Taste and confirm that all is ready.

Put off the fire and serve.

Your meal is set. Let the saliva flow.