Here are some easy African recipes you can use to teach your kids geography and give some inspiration for cooking while you are home. Find out more about this series, or jump right in with part 2 of ‘Suppers from Around the World’ brings you easy African recipes that your family will love. Each day we will have a new continent of family dinner recipes until all 7 continents are done.
AFRICA
The world’s second largest & second most populated continent, Africa covers 20% of the earth’s land area and accounts for 16% of the world’s humans. Like Asia, the continent is surrounded by water. There is the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Believed to be the place of origin of humans, their traditions go back a long way, with a large diversity of ethnicity and cultures. Today with 54 recognized countries, they have a lot of varied flavors and influence in their recipes.
Unlike Antarctica, which has no fresh fruit or vegetables, many African recipes use locally available fruit, grains and vegetables. In central & western Africa you will find plantains, cassava, rice, kwanga (cassava dumpling), groundnuts and yam. While traditional East African recipes contain milk and blood of cattle, but rarely the meat. North Africa recipes are heavy with spices like nutmeg, ginger and cloves that were introduced by the Arabs in the 7th century. Today in the north they use a lot of potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini and chili peppers. South Africa dishes are traced back to the indigenous foods their ancestors who ate roasted and dried meat. Today the love for barbecue and dried meat continues in Southern Africa.
I have to admit that a lot of the African recipes include ingredients I don’t have in my pantry, and may not be easy to find, so I have chosen some that you can make with things you readily have and your family will still get a taste of African flavors.
Peri Peri (or Piri Piri) Chicken (Mozambique)
Piri Piri (or Peri Peri) Chicken is a dish traditional to both Africa and Portugal. Named after a chili sauce used in the dish, this is a popular South African dish that includes rice, spicy potatoes and salad. The moist juicy browned chicken can be grilled or roasted and is best served with a coconut cream sauce. It’s important to note that the chicken needs to be marinated hours (at least four) before being cooked.
Coconut Fish Curry (Tanzania)
Known locally as mchuzi wa samaki, Coconut Fish Curry is full of deep Indian spices and enjoyed all over east coast of Africa. This easy dish can be made with any type of meaty fish (halibut and salmon are probably the most popular). Throw in a few prawns during the last minutes to make it a seafood festivus. You can serve the dish over potatoes, rice, yuca or couscous.
Jollof Rice (Nigeria/Ghanaia)
Jollof Rice is a one-pot rice dish that is popular in many west African countries, including Ghanai and Nigeria who debate over where the dish originated. This rice dish is heralded as being the forefather of Louisiana Jambalaya. This tomato and spice flavored dish is great on it’s own or served with fish, chicken, beef, eggs or turkey.
Mafé (Senegal)
A traditional spicy Senegalese stew, Mafé (or Maafé), is made with a tomato-peanut butter sauce. This dish can be made into a stew or sauce, depending on how much water you add. 196 Flavors has a great recipe that uses lamb and Demand Africa has one with stew meat, but you can also make it with chicken, veggies or boiled eggs. This one pot meal is easy to make with common ingredients. It’s also great dish to make ahead and is great reheated with rice or couscous.
If you prefer a fish stew, try Hank Shaw’s East African fish stew, which I love full of shrimp.
Carrots with Peppers and Mint (Morocco)
These carrots are full of flavors of cumin, caraway and mint. Moroccan carrots are great as a side dish, but also great served with salad, rice or with any of the main dishes in this post. Bon Appetit also has a great recipe for roasted carrots with red onions with fennel and mint. They are also great served with tahini.
Spicy Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew, Soup & Sambusa
This has to be my kids favorite. Especially my vegetarian daughter. Lentil soup, stew or anything lentil is a hit. This Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew calls for Berbere spice. This Ethiopian signature spice blend includes garlic, ginger, coriander, femigreek, and allspice in addition to a big pinch of ground chiles. Your local grocery may not have it, so here is a recipe to make your own Berbere spice.
If you want a simple Ethiopian Spiced Red Lentil Curry to serve on rice, check out A Couple Cooks recipe.
If your family isn’t into stews, but you wanna stick with lentils, try this Lentil Sambusa recipe from Ethiopia. These thin flaky doughs stuffed with lentils and spice is similar to Mexican, Turkish and other county phyllo dough stuffed triangles. They are also great as a snack or appetizer.
Groundnut Stew (Nigeria)
Groundnut Stew with Chicken and Spiralized Sweet Potatoes is a creamy and spicy with a touch of sweetness. This stew is gluten free, dairy free and low carb. The traditional recipe includes yams, but the sweet potatoes are a convenient option that has fewer carbs than potatoes per serving than standard white rice and more fiber.
Flatbread (Egypt)
This is a no-brainer, especially if you have kids. Egyptian flatbread will also go great with all the African recipes included in this story.
If you liked these African recipes, check out our other easy continent meals:
Check out the other continents:
Do you have an African recipes you’d like to share?
