Monday, April 4, 2011

African food


African food

African Food – Gold restaurant


African food recipes are a far cry from what is obtained in the west, though on occasions similarities in their evolution can be sensed.


These meals are never bland as a dish. The tastes are tantalizing, the aromas exciting. Yes. Like foods from most hot climates, they are often very rich in spices, some hot, some with unique flavours difficult to describe in words, but undeniably appealing to the senses.


Ready to try out an African food recipe? Pick your choice and try any of the recipes described here.


True, most traditional African meals take some reasonable amount of time to prepare. Thanks, to technology. You can now skip most of the drudging time consuming steps and get on with cooking your desired meal, using pre-packed raw cooking ingredients, unadulterated, most retaining their traditional flavour.


Boy. A savoury culinary delight awaits your effort as you put to use what you find on visiting this free online African recipe cookbook section.


African food recipes are centered round a list of ingredients easily found all over the continent. In the whole of sub Saharan Africa, from Dakar (Senegal) to Dar es Salam (Tanzania), southwards to Cape Town (South Africa), most African foods are based on common foodstuffs like:


cassava, yam, cocoyam, rice, beans, maize, sorghum, groundnut, coconut, plantain, matoke, millet, melons, sea foods, poultry, beef, goat meat, bush meat, palm oil, potatoes, lentil, beans, cowpeas, vegetables, vegetable oils, and a wide selection of tantalizing of spices.


Even Africans in Diaspora have retained a huge chunk of the traditional African cooking styles, and recipes of main African dishes whether in America or the Caribbean have not changed a lot.


Out of these seemingly few list of items comes a literally unending array of various delicacies.


Africa is home to some 900 Million people, spanning over 50 countries. African food recipes are therefore as varied as the thousands of tribes and culture found in this beautiful continent. It must be said though, that despite the variation, most food are cooked with the same basic ingredient.


We bring you a list of African food recipes. Are you looking to prepare Soul food, Nigerian food, or Ghanaian Food? Choose your choice of African recipe from the region or country of your choice below.


South Africa's culinary world offers a wide range of treasures, foods and dishes including the exotic.

When you do visit South Africa, don't miss the opportunity to taste some of its unique traditional specialities. The more adventurous diners may want to try crocodile sirloin, fried caterpillars or sheep heads. All three are said to be delicious. For the not-quite so brave there are indigenous delicacies like Bobotie, "Potjiekos" (pot food) and kingklip, to name but a few.


Bobotie is a highly popular traditional dish in South Africa. Introduced by the Cape Malays in the 17th century, it can almost be regarded as an indigenous dish. A little soaked bread is mixed with minced meat, preferably lamb and flavoured with a mixture of fried onions, curry, apricot jam, fried almond shavings and sultanas.

The addition of lemon leaves (or alternatively lemon juice) gives bobotie its distinctive aroma. Halfway the cooking it is covered with a topping of egg custard to give it its attractive golden crust on top.


A ceremonial food, normally prepared for special occasions, since it takes a long time to make. There are a multitude of recipes for biriyani and each one has uniqueness about it. Chicken or lamb is marinated in a spicy yogurt mix and the rice is flavoured with cardamom, cumin and cinnamon.

Layers of marinated meat and fried potatoes are packed into a pot and these are topped with rice drizzled with saffron. In some instances nuts and sultanas are added just before serving. The pot is sealed and steamed in the oven. It always tastes better the next day since the fusion between the spices and the flavours of the meat, vegetables and rice improves with some time.


An old Cape colony name for a ragout type of stew of meat (usually mutton) and vegetables stewed together so that the flavours intermingle to create a unique taste experience. It is called "bredie", derived from the Madagascan word "bredi", introduced by the slaves who arrived in the Cape Colony, some of them of Madagascan origin. It scores high in the South African food popularity stakes.

What gives a bredie its unique character is the long and slow simmering until the meat and vegetables melt together in a rich, thick and full-bodied gravy, which is obtained by using meat with a fair amount of bone and fat, rolling it in flour and browning it before the vegetables are added. In addition to potatoes and onion there is usually a dominant vegetable such as cabbage, beans or pumpkin.


A good-quality Indian curries with its powerful and yet subtle taste is a mouth watering South African food experience. Served sweet, mild or hot they are usually a mixture of fresh garlic and ginger pulp lightly fried together with chillies, onions and a blend of what are known as the "C" spices, cassia, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, chillies and cinnamon.

Added to this are chopped tomatoes and finally the meat, seafood or vegetables. This spicy stew is usually eaten with rice and a sambal side dish.


A delicious way to experience the Rainbow Nation is through its food. Contributions from the cultures that created South Africa make its modern cuisine one of the most exciting in Africa.


For the more daring diner, South Africa offers culinary challenges ranging from crocodile sirloin to fried caterpillars to sheep heads. All three are reputed to be delicious.


For the not-quite so brave, there are myriad indigenous delicacies such as biltong (dried, salted meat), bobotie (a much-improved version of Shepherd's pie) and boerewors (hand-made farm sausages).


Umnqusho, a stew of roughly crushed dried maize kernels mixed with sugar or butter beans, is said to be former president Nelson Mandela 's favourite food. Maize meal porridge, crumbly or soft, accompanies most meals. And fried chicken from fast-food outlets is widely popular.


Those who prefer to play it altogether safe will find that most eateries offer a familiar global menu - anything from hamburgers to sushi to pad Thai to spaghetti bolognaise. And you can drink the tap water.


Restaurant guides list close to two dozen national styles, including Vietnamese and Swiss. On a single street in a Johannesburg suburb, one finds Italian restaurants, two or three varieties of Chinese cookery, Japanese, Moroccan, French, Portuguese and Indian food, both Tandoor and Gujarati.


Not far away are Congolese restaurants, Greek, even Brazilian and Korean establishments, and, everywhere, fusion, displaying the fantasies of creative chefs.


But there are niche specialities as well, and not a few surprises. Some of the world's best curries can be found in Durban; fine French cuisine in Franschhoek; the freshest fish, caught only hours before, in Cape Town and Hermanus. Wine estates in Western Cape province offer meals, often French- or English-themed, along with wine tastings. High tea is on offer at most major hotels throughout the country: high tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town is a traditional treat.


Those in search of authentic South African cuisine have to look harder for those few establishments that specialise in it - like the justly famous Gramadoelas in central Johannesburg, Wandie's Place in Soweto, the Africa Café in central Cape Town or smaller restaurants in that city's Bo-Kaap, in Khayelitsha and Langa.


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"Curry Chicken Part 1" African Fusion Kitchen By JUKA is a healthy african cooking show created and hosted by Juka. AF Kitchen by Juka's goal is to upload weekly shows on line to create a fan base, that we can introduce the art of cooking African meals from African Breakfast, Lunch, dinner and deserts to delicious African drinks. Be sure to check our website @ www.africanfusionbyjuka.com regularly for the most delicious and healthiest African meals there is.Thanx !



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