Its crispy texture on the outside and pillowy centre make masa an incredible snack and a favourite for millions of West Africans. These yeasted grain pancakes are gluten-free, pair perfectly with many dishes, and are easy to make. This recipe will dive into what masa is and walk you through a step by step process. What is Masa? As described above, masa is a mini yeasted grain cake fried into little puffed balls. It is made by combining cooked and raw grains (most popular options are rice, millet and sometimes corn), sugar, and salt to make a light batter fried into mini cakes. Traditionally, a ..read more

After years of developing this recipe, I am proud to present my vegetarian take on Senegalese made, the iconic peanut-based Senegalese stew. This mafe is bursting with flavour, incredibly comforting and delicious. This blog post will equip you with all you need to conquer this recipe. What is Senegalese Mafe Mafe is the name of a Senegalese peanut and vegetable stew. It is one of the most iconic Senegalese recipes, along with Thieboudienne and Yassa. The stew is made with a base of tomatoes, peppers, and nokoss, thickened with a peanut slurry and cooked with chunks of vegetables, such as cabba ..read more

This mushroom pepper soup is spicy, comforting, and warm, making it perfect for a cold day, especially a sick day. This Nigerian-inspired soup is brothy and flavoured with diverse indigenous West African spices, giving it a unique aroma and taste. This fully plant-based take is hearty and delicious. The plantain adds a sweetness that balances out the slightly bitter undertones of the indigenous spices, melding together flavours. This blog post will introduce indigenous West African spices and walk you through the pepper soup cooking process. What is pepper soup? Pepper soup is a spicy, brothy ..read more

If you are looking for an alternative to plain white rice, this recipe is for you. This multigrain rice is full of fibre and nutrients; with some changes, it will not have a prolonged effect on your blood sugar. It is simple and adjustable to whatever you have in your pantry. This year, I aimed to eat more fibre, focusing primarily on whole grains and Indigenous African ingredients but not forsaking flavour. With this goal in mind, I wanted to find ways to incorporate more fibre without drastically changing my diet. Enter multigrain rice. Like many Africans, I eat a lot of rice, so this was a ..read more

These roasted millet and oat pancakes are a great gluten-free addition to your breakfast rotation. The pancakes are fragrant, nutty, and contain plant protein and fibre. The premade pancake mix is easy to prep ahead and store in your pantry for months. The post Roasted Millet and Oat Pancakes appeared first on The Canadian African ..read more

This warm and fragrant porridge made with sorghum and millet is the perfect start to the day. This spiced grain porridge is packed with flavour, essential nutrients and fibre that will keep you full throughout the morning. It is customizable, completely gluten free, and a great addition to your breakfast rotation. Ghanaians and grain porridges go hand in hand. Whether it is rice, corn, millet, legumes, best believe we have found a way to turn it into a porridge. With the ability to turn anything into a delicious porridge coursing through my veins, it was only right to share a delicious spiced ..read more

This baobab and ginger tea is the perfect cold and flu season tea. It is packed with antioxidants, multivitamins and nutrients that support your immune system, and overall health. What is baobab Baobab is indigenous to the African continent, Madagascar and Australia, where it stands as some of the world’s oldest trees. It holds a lot of importance in various African cultures as a symbol of wisdom and longevity. Despite its age, mature baobab trees flower and fruit every year, providing a delicious fruit that is packed with nutrients. The health benefits of baobab There are said to be over thre ..read more

This moringa lemon tea is the best way to start the morning. This simple tea is packed with antioxidants, multivitamins, and essential amino acids that can improve your overall health. All you need are four ingredients and five minutes. What is Moringa Moringa is the complete tree.   While the popular cultivar (moringa oleifera) is a product of India, the botanical roots of moringa are on the African continent, which houses the most number of moringa cultivars (13/14).  There are hundreds of documented traditional uses of various parts of the tree. You can use moringa to purify ..read more

This spiced hibiscus tea uses a superfood you must include into your daily routine. Hibiscus is packed with antioxidants and vitamin C that supports your immune system, skin and many more. Sip on it warm in the winter or cold in the summer. The tea is seasoned with fragrant West African spices that boost the health benefits of this drink while infusing a warming flavour. What is hibiscus. Roselle — hibiscus sabdarifa is a flowering plant indigenous to the African continent. Fun fact: it is part of the okro and baobab family. If you can see the plant, it looks exactly like okro. The leaves and ..read more

These roasted millet and peanut cookies are full of warm, nutty and cozy flavours. It is a cookie that puts together some of my favourite ingredients and showcases a popular Ghanaian cooking process. Everyone should be roasting their grains. My flavour of the year has been roasted grains. Millet, corn, beans, and many more are roasted to expand the cooking options and boost the aroma. We roast many grains and legumes for drinks, porridge, and even pottages. Each grain or legume has a distinct flavour when roasted but the nutty undernotes are clear across ingredients. Inspiration for these cook ..read more