Best Ghanaian dishes you should try at home

Best Ghanaian dishes you should try at home

Food defines the cultural landscape of ethnicity in all parts of the world. In Ghana all the over 70 ethnic groups have their special culture that defines them in terms of the language they speak, they food they eat, their social belief, and social interactions.

The beautiful aspect of this in Ghana is the harmony that exists among different ethnic groups. Inter-ethnic marriages, food sharing, and the respect for all religious beliefs.

The emphasize for this write-up is on the different types of local dishes in Ghana that are enjoyed by all ethnic groups in Ghana. They are pretty simple to prepare with some handy ingredients that are readily available in the market and can be eaten irrespective of your race.

1. Apapransa

Apapransa is a delicacy among the Akans in Ghana. It is prepared using roasted corn flour, palm soup with dried fish, crab, tomato stew in palm oil, and natural spices.

Apapransa with crab | Credit: UGC

How to prepare apapransa

• First prepare the palm soup with the assorted dry fish, tomatoes, onion, spicy sea crabs, pepper, salt to taste, and with or without ‘prekese'(Tetrapleura tetraptera) to give it that aromatic bush flavor.
• When the soup is well cooked, pour 3/4 of it in a clean saucepan with the cooked crabs. Allow the remaining soup to be on mild heat.
• Gradually add scoops of the roasted corn flour and add bits of the reserved soup to smoothen the mixture. Use wooden spatula to mix and smoothen the mixture.
• The amount of the reserved soup to add to the mixture depends on how soft you want your Apaprasa.
• Once the perfect mixture is attained lower the fire source and allow to steam until you start smelling the nice aroma. Your apapransa is now ready to serve.
• Blend fresh onion, pepper, ginger, and tomatoes.
• Put palm oil on medium heat and your sliced onion and allow to turn golden brown and then pour the puree into it.
• Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, add the cooked crabs and allow the mixture to simmer for extra 5 minutes.
• Serve the apapransa with the stew. Some prefer adding cooked red beans for more taste.

2. Akple and Fetri Detsi

Akple and Fetri Detsi | Credit: UGC

Akple and Fetri detsi is a native delicacy of the Ewes in Ghana. It is well eaten in Ghana among other ethnic groups especially the Akans and the Northerners adapted in modified ways but very popular in the Volta region. It is prepared using corn flour, okro, ademe (special slimy green leafy vegetable), and any kind of meat or fish.

How to prepare Akple and Fetri Detsi

Akple:

• Get your dry corn flour ready and bring a water in a clean saucepan to boil.
• Mix small amount of the flour in cold water to attain a consistent mixture but to form paste.
• Pour the mixture into the boiling water and use a wooden spatula to stir continuously whiles adding more flour to it.
• Th amount of flour to add depends on the desired consistency and also the quantity to serve.
• Stir very well to obtain smooth and consistent mixture
• Allow to stay on very low heat for approximately 5 minutes and turn off the fire source.
• Mold the akple to any desired shape and keep covered in a bowl ready to serve

Fetri Detsi

• Grate okro and chop ademe into fine pieces
• Put together in a saucepan and bring to boil; whip with wooden spatula to build up the sliminess.
• Blend your onion, tomatoes, pepper, ginger and all the spices together.
• Heat your palm oil and add sliced onions, salted fish (‘kako’ or ‘momorni’ can be used)
• When onions and the salted fish are golden brown, pour the cooked okro and ‘ademe’ into the palm oil mixture and stir to mix well.
• Add your already steamed meat, fish, crab, and lobsters
• Bring the mixture to a low heat and allow to simmer

Serve your Akple with the fetri detsi

3. Tubaani

Tubaani Credit: Twitter.com/pmcasford

Tubaani is a a special dish commonly eaten by the natives of the Northern Ghana. It is prepared from beans (black-eyed peas). The preparation is quite simple by mixing beans flour into thick paste; wrap scoops of the beans paste in a plantain leaf or water broad-leaf (‘Ahaban’). The wrapped beans pastes are steamed in a cooking pot until well cooked. The leaf gives the Tubaani a unique aroma and color. It is best served with chili sauce in shea oil.

4. Nuhuu or Mpihuu or Nyomah

This is a dish enjoyed by the Akan groups. ‘Nuhuu (yam or cocoyam porridge) which is prepared using cocoyam or yam in palm soup is very popular among the Ashantis, Ahafos, and the Bonos. ‘Mpihuu’ or ‘Nyoma’ which is also yam porridge is mostly enjoyed by the Akuapems.

Bowl of nuhuu | Credit: Youtube.com/kinkyinaatwantv