Banku and Okro Stew; the best prescription ever for sore throat and hoarse voice

   Maize (/ˈmeɪz/ mayz; Zea mays subsp. mays, from Spanish: maíz after Taíno mahiz), also known as corn, is a large grain plant first domesticated by indigenous peoples inMexico^[1] about 10,000 years ago. The six major types of corn are dent corn, flint corn,pod corn, popcorn, flour corn, and sweet corn.^[2]

The leafy stalk of the plant produces separate pollen and ovuliferous inflorescences or ears, which are fruits, yielding kernels or seeds. Maize kernels are often used in cooking as starch.

     Maize is a popular crop in Ghana which is cultivated by about 70% of small scale farmers. One is likely to find maize plants inthee backyard of 6 out of 10 Ghanaians. That should tell you how popular the crop is. Majority of Ghanaian foods are prepared with maize and the Ghanaian recipe under discussion today is Banku and Okro Stew. Banku and Okro is rich with in nutrients ranging from cabohydrate, protein, fat and oil, water, vitamins and etc. It's one of the foods that is common among most of the tribes in Ghana thus almost every tribe has a special liking for Banku and Okro Stew. The fantes who are known for their high liking for Banku have a special way of preparing this recipe. They call Banku, "3tew" and their Okro Stew, "nkruma fr)". Unlike most of the other tribes, the Fantes don't like slimy Okro and they normally do not add cassava dough to the corn dough when preparing their special Banku. The Banku can be better and longer preserved when there is no cassava dough; others use the cassava dough to make the Banku rise and softer. Today, we will be learning how to prepare Banku and Okro Stew the fante way.

   INGREDIENTS.

1. Corn dough

2. Okro

3. Meat/fish (As desired but tastes better with a combination of fish, beef, hide(wele), and crab.

4. Garden eggs (smaller quantity or can be done without it)

5. Pepper

6. Fresh tomatoes 

7. Salted fish (mormorne)

8. Onions

9. Palm oil

10. Salt to taste.

PREPARATION.

1. Marsh your corn dough in a bowl of water 

2. Sieve it over a saucepan to remove any impurities and foreign materials 

3. Add a little salt to the solution and put it on fire

4. Keep stirring with your Banku stick till the solution is solid and hard

5. Pour a small amount of water dough solid dough, clean the edges and surface of the stick and saucepan and cover the saucepan so the water can boil and with the help of the vapour cook the Banku

6. Keep turning till you think it's well cooked

7. Your Banku is done. Mould them into balls and Package them in white rubbers in the  form of clinch tapes to keep them warm.

Now, to your Okro Stew,

8. Cut your Okro into pieces and add a bit of garden eggs also cut into pieces and pour into a saucepan of water.

9. Cut a small amount of the salted fish and put into the Okro and garden eggs in the saucepan to taste and get a better aroma. Add salt petre (kawu) if you want it to be slimy and put it on fire

10. Wash your meat and steam it with spices

11. Pour Palm oil into a pan on fire

12. Put chopped onions and pepper and onion puree into the hot pan .  

13. Put into the hot pan filled with the Palm oil and puree, salted fish to taste and pour into it chopped tomatoes.(the tomatoes must be very small especially if you want the Okro Stew to be slimy)

14. Pour into the pan your steam meat. Leave it to simmer a bit to drain off any excess water and pour in your cooked Okro and garden eggs

15. Leave it on fire for about 2 mins to drain off excess water.

16. Your Okro Stew is ready. Serve with your banku 

Easy right?

Enjoy this recipe as the Banku travels smoothly down your throat to cure you of any sore throat and hoarse voice.

Credit:.wikipedia.com

Plantain can look sexy in bed with Koobi

   Plantain is one of the popular food crop in Ghana, West Africa. One can find Plantain in the backyards and gardens of numerous Ghanaians. Plantain is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia. Two groups of plantains are thought to have a common origin: the horn plantain and the French plantain. Both types grow in India, Africa and Tropical America.

   In Ghana, the Akans, a dominant ethnic group call the horn plantain, "Apem" and the French plantain is called, "Apentum". The Apentum is normally used together with Cassava in the preparation of fufu whereas the Apem is used mostly for the other plantain delicacies. Our Plantain recipe today is "Apem ampesie and nyaadoa abomu " thus boiled horn plantain and garden eggs stew.

   Ingredients.

1. Horn plantain (you can use any other plantain too)

2. Garden eggs

3. Pepper

4. Onion

5. Salted fish(mormorne) to taste

6. Salted Tilapia (Koobi)

7. Egg

8. Peanut butter

9. Palm oil

10. Salt to taste

Preparation.

1. Peel off the skin or husk of the plantain and put it in a saucepan filled with a little water.

2. Put the pan on the fire and wash the pepper and garden eggs and place them on the plantain together with the egg , add Salt and cover to boil.

3. Place the salted tilapia on the plantain and etc when it is almost cooked to prevent it from tearing apart.

4. Drain off the water when it's cooked and place the cooked plantain into a bowl of cold water to make it softer and more attractive.

5. Get your earthenware bowl and grind the pepper, garden eggs and onion. Smoke the salted fish and grind it too and add a desirable amount of peanut butter to it to taste while adding salt too.

6. Heat the Palm oil and pour in some chopped onions to make the oil smell better. Pour the oil over the puree and take the plantain out of the water.

7. Garnish the garden eggs stew with your egg, some chopped onions and the salted tilapia

8. Serve and enjoy your meal.