Fam, we made it – Nigerian cuisine and its beloved dishes done gone global. And yes, KB, Kitchen Butterfly was featured with several mentions. Woo hoo. All this thanks to Bim, Culture editor at BuzzfeedUK, who wrote ‘23 Nigerian Foods The World Should Know & Love‘. At No 1 is the beloved Jollof Rice and at 23 – Afang stew, a leafy green stew popular in Nigeria’s south. {Read about it: All you need to know about Jollof – history, culture, essentials, recipes and an around the world in 12} In between there’s Akara, Dodo, Snails, Banga, Peppersoup {Pepper soup recipes...
Five (5) Delicious Dips in ‘Arabian’ Cuisine
Here are five delicious dips from Arabic/ Levant Cuisine 1. Hummus The standard bearer, and vanilla essence of Arabian dips. It is made from boiled chickpeas, pureed and flavoured with tahini- sesame seed paste, olive oil, lemon juice. Variations range from chunky to smooth, made with freshly boiled or tinned chickpeas, served simply or elaborately with olive oil and paprika for colour. I like it. very much. Recipe: Tried & tested by myself
Pick The Perfect Kitchen Furniture
Your living room is arguably one of the most, if not the most, important spaces in your home. It’s often the first room guests encounter upon entering, and it’s probably where you and your family spend the majority of your time together. For these reasons, it’s crucial to put your own stamp on this living space. You want your living room to reflect you and your personality. Therefore, it’s advisable to plan the space to achieve the look and feel that’s most important to you. Your living room should be a place of comfort, where you can be happy to...
Foods to Break Your Fast
After a long period of not eating, it is best to break your fast with light and healthy foods that get your energy levels up. One suggestion is to have a small plate of fruits or food, go to prayer and then have a more nutritious Iftar meal. Here are 10 things you can eat to keep your energy up: Dates Recommended because the Prophet Muhammad ate dates to break his fast. These tiny fruits are nutritious, a great source of dietary fibre and can be eaten on their own, with nuts, or enjoyed in various forms of date caramel. Watermelon Watermelon...
Moghrabieh Salad
Legume & grain salads are perfect for Ramadan meals. Cook up a huge pot of beans, grains and use it in a variety of soups and salads, combined with simple dressings and vegetables. Take one is this salad, take two is a soup using much the same ingredients. I particularly like this salad for the complex citrus flavours running through it – kumquats, nicely chopped up; some preserved meyer lemon zest, rinsed and mushed up with ease and some fresh lemon juice. {The Art of The Savoury Salad} The dressing combines olive oil, plain date caramel and a few other ingredients...
Suya – Sesame Ma’Salad
Suya and masa to be honest is a no-brainer for they hold court together, very often. I would simply have called this a suya-masa salad were it not my daughter, of croffle vs croissantwaf’fly fame who christened it Ma’Salad, and so it is. You can purchase all the elements from your nearest ‘Glover court‘, mix and match or go the actual whole hog and rustle up your own. I like the combination of flavours and textures – the masa bites work like croutons – heftier without being stodgy. The spiced meat is chewy against the soft of the rice pancake and the sauces – sweet,...
In Season
I’m so thrilled that this season of corn and yellow peppers, ose Nsukka is the one which follows mango season. This is the season of monsoon rains, nights lulled to sleep with drizzles and mornings rudely awoken with pounding drops, thunder and Lightning. Here are a few things in season – Sweet Potatoes These purple-skinned sweet potatoes were a wonderful gift from a friend who visited her hometown in the East of Nigeria. They are soooooooooooo fresh. I’m thinking of a hash or pottage with them. We shall see. Ose Nsukka, Yellow Pepper These peppers are no stranger to my...
The Art of Soup
You can take any combination of grains/ legumes and vegetables to cook up an amazing soup. Well, almost any. As long as you have the basics right, you can slay every single time. Using meat? Brown it first. Start off with whatever ‘meat’ you’d like, cut in small chunks. I like to make my soup in a cast iron pot. I start off by heating it, and lightly greasing. I’m always of two minds – put the meat in without any fat and let it render its own .I must confess this works better with chicken and bacon, but not...
To Father With Love: Pounded Yam, Okro & Stew
Happy Father’s Day, Daddy. To the one who taught be about life, and death. Who always ate Pounded Yam on Sundays. Freshly pounded to the rhythm of Sunday afternoons and pestles. To the one whose love for me was second to none. If you were here, I would have cooked you a feast, set a glorious table before you and served it with a bottle of stout, or Gulder. But you aren’t and that’s fine. We’ll celebrate the memories of you, as we pinch of soft, doughy yam – freshly pounded, and as we feast on soups, quick and easy. A...