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Banku
Banku: the smooth, tangy corn and cassava swallow of the Ga and Ewe, stirred by hand
Chop bars from Jamestown to Teshie serve banku all day, usually beside grilled tilapia, okro stew and a fierce raw pepper sauce. Fermented corn dough and cassava dough are cooked together and turned hard with a wooden spatula until they become a smooth, stretchy, faintly sour ball that you pinch off with your fingers and dip into soup or stew. At home it is good with any Ghanaian soup, and a meat-free okro stew or pepper sauce keeps the whole meal vegan. Ready-made doughs are sold in African grocers. A lumpy banku comes from adding dough to hot water; always mix it with cold water first, then heat. The commonest mistake is stopping the stirring; banku needs constant turning with a wooden spoon or it goes lumpy and raw in patches. Chef's tip: keep a bowl of water next to the pot and wet the spatula and your hands as you shape the balls, so the banku comes out glossy and nothing sticks.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb fermented corn doughfrom African shops; or mix 400 g fine cornmeal with 350 ml water and leave covered at room temperature for 2–3 days until pleasantly sour
- 9 oz fermented cassava doughfermented, from African shops (sometimes sold frozen); or finely grated, squeezed fresh cassava
- 2 cups cold water
- ¾ cup hot waterfor adjusting
- 1 tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Break 1 ⅛ lb fermented corn dough and 9 oz fermented cassava dough into a heavy pot. Add 2 cups cold water and 1 tsp salt and squeeze with your hands until you have a smooth, lump-free batter, like thick pancake batter.
5 minStep 2: Set the pot over a medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spatula. After a few minutes it will suddenly thicken and start to form lumps; keep stirring hard.
8 minStep 3: Turn the heat to medium-low. Now start 'turning': press the dough against the side of the pot with the spatula, fold it over and press again, scraping the bottom each time.
10 minStep 4: Sprinkle in ¾ cup hot water a few tablespoons at a time if it gets too stiff, cover for a minute to steam, then keep turning. It is ready when it is smooth, slightly glossy, pale grey-white, and no longer tastes floury.
7 minStep 5: Wet a small bowl with water, scoop in a portion of banku and swirl it round to shape a smooth ball. Wrap each ball in cling film or banana leaf to keep warm and serve with soup, stew or pepper sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 84 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does banku take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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