February is a very significant month for us black people because we get to celebrate, reminisce and reflect on our Black history. Even though one month is definitely not enough to talk about our past, our present, and where we want to be.
It’s beautiful that we have a moment dedicated to shining the spotlight on all things Black! So, in honor of black history month, I want you to try out these 2 simple and beautiful Afro-Fusion dishes from around the world.
On this blog you won’t have to worry, you can trust us to help you make the most out of this month. Before I get down to sharing the yummy Afro-Fusion recipes similar to Jollof spaghetti and curry shrimp Chinese, let’s talk about Afro-Fusion for a second, shall we?
What’s the story behind it and where did it even originate from?
What Is A Fusion Recipe?
When you hear the word fusion, of course, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘to merge things together.’ A fusion recipe is the creation of new recipes from the combination of already existing traditional recipes.
The idea is to create something better, either by replacing the original traditional ingredients or by adding to the traditional cuisine. So, say you want to prepare spaghetti, which we all know is a staple Italian dish, and you are missing some of the ingredients you need.
You can easily find a Jollof spaghetti recipe; which is a combination of the popular Nigerian Jollof rice recipe with an Italian-style spaghetti recipe. Fusion recipes have been in existence since before we can even remember.
Thanks to migration and the marriage of different cultures, fusion cooking has been thriving for centuries. There’s no way to pinpoint the origin of fusion recipes because it didn’t start today and it sure won’t stop now.
In fact, over the years Afro-Fusion recipes have gotten better.
What Is Afro-Fusion?
For Afro-fusion, think of fusion recipes but with different African cuisines. Afro-fusion is the art of combining two or more types of African cuisines to form one yummy whole.
Quite possibly, you could combine two purely African recipes or one African recipe with any other. The beauty of Afro-fusion dishes or any fusion dish for that matter is the whole new burst of flavor.
There’s just something beautiful about being able to create something new.
What Are Some Examples Of Fusion Dishes?
There are different types of fusion dishes; Asian fusion dishes, Korean fusion dishes, Afro-fusion dishes, Indian fusion dishes, and Australian fusion dishes, just pick a continent and add fusion to it.
Examples of Asian fusion dishes would include Korean potato salad and Japanese-Mexican fusion quesadillas.
For Indian fusion, we have Curry shrimp Chinese, and tandoori chicken burgers.
All of these fusion recipes totally enhance the original recipe flavor in an unforgettable way.
Now, let’s dive into the top 3 Afro-fusion dishes you have to try!
Sweet Potato Curry Soup
I just love curry soups and how super-diverse they are. You can eat curry soups with anything from brown rice to bread. Shared from African Gourmet, this afro-fusion recipe combines a West-African staple sweet potato recipe and the traditional Indian curry recipe to create a yummy soup.
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 Adults
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups of coconut milk
1 cup of water
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 medium diced ripe tomato
2 tablespoons palm oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 hot pepper
2 tablespoons sweet curry powder
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
How To Make Sweet Potato Curry Soup
1. Heat a large saucepan on medium heat, and add the palm oil.
2. When it’s a bit warm, add your chopped garlic, ginger, onions, pepper, and salt.
3. Sauté them until lightly done and then add all the remaining ingredients.
4. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Can be served over rice or freshly baked bread.
Ethiopian Tikel Gomen And Nigerian Jollof Rice
Nigeria meets Ethiopia in this amazing Afro-Fusion recipe. Both go so well together, as they should!
Recipe from The Cook’s Hideout, her recipes are vegetarian-based ones from around the world.
Even though they can be eaten separately, this unique combination allows the dish to have a rich burst of flavor.
This combo can be enjoyed by vegetarians and plant-based food lovers. Meat can be replaced with Tofu.
Ethiopian Tikel Gomen Recipe
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4-6 Adults
Ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon salt
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp Cumin
½ ground ginger
1 Cabbage, sliced
5 sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes
Jollof Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Medium-sized Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 medium-sized onion, roughly chopped, set aside
2 scotch bonnet peppers AKA Habanero pepper
1/4 cup of groundnut oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups of parboiled rice
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1 tsp salt to taste
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp All-purpose seasoning
1 Knorr stock cube
3 bay leaves
Water, as needed
How To Make Jollof Rice
- Blend your red pepper, tomatoes, and scotch bonnet peppers in a food processor or blender for about 45 seconds, making sure that everything is blended smoothly.
- In a medium-sized pot, heat your oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated add the onions you set aside and stir fry just until they turn golden brown.
- Once the onions have turned brown in color add the tomato paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the blended tomato mixture (reserve about 1/4 cup and set aside) and fry the mixture with the onions and tomato paste for about 30 minutes. Stir consistently so that the tomato mixture does not burn.
- After 30 minutes, turn the heat down to medium, and add the chicken stock. Mix and add your seasonings (salt, curry powder, thyme, all-purpose seasoning, and the Knorr stock cube). Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 10 minutes.
- Add the parboiled rice to the pot. Mix it very well with the tomato stew. At this point, if you need to add water so that the rice is level with the tomato mixture/chicken stock go ahead and do so.
- Add the bay leaves, cover the pot, and cook on medium to low heat for 15-30 minutes.
- When the liquid has almost dried up, add the remaining tomato stew, cover, and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes until the liquid has completely dried up.
- Turn off the heat, mix thoroughly, and your Jollof Rice is ready to be eaten!
Review And Thoughts
Now that you know these amazing recipes, you’re armed and ready for Black History Month.
Which fusion food recipe will you be trying out first?
