Like so many people in America now, I have a love and deep interest in Africa. I had the privilege of going to Uganda last year and had my first taste of African cooking. The hotel we stayed at in Kampala didn’t offer true African cuisine, but when we traveled up North to Kitgum I was introduced to how a lot of rural Africa eats, well at least in Central Africa. After I returned I went to a South African restaurant in Brooklyn and found it not similar at all and eventually went looking for some cookbooks and inspiration to start my own African cooking. What surprised me in this search was a complete lack of resources and well-written African cookbooks. One I found that I really like is The Africa Cookbook by Jessica B. Harris. The only other African cookbook I found in large bookstores was Marcus Samuelsson’s Discovery of a Continent, which was sold at Starbucks for a while. I found it very hard to follow, and more of a travel log and personal journal than a serious cookbook. I also enlisted the help of my friend who also loves to cook and is South African. She had a few recipes and a book about Nelson Mandela with some recipes, but most of her serious cooking was in Afrikaans. As I continue to search for African cuisine outside of Africa, I became curious why there was such a lack of resources and interest in African food. Bookstores are lined with shelves of Italian, French, American, Organic, Spanish, cooking - I could go on and on. When I went looking for African cookbooks I usually found Moroccan and Marcus Samuelsson’s book, which I already owned.  I do recognize that African cooking is not extravagant for the most part nor particularly complex on the palate. It is however earthy, natural, simple, and usually full of protein and nutrients. When I was in Uganda I had no meat – it was not an option outside of the walls of the hotel, and usually wasn’t safe. I deeply enjoyed and savored the vegetarian dishes that were made for me at every meal by Josephine who was studying catering and hospitality. So far, I’ve made a Senegalese Peanut Butter Stew (Mafé), and South African Chicken Sosaties, which I added a great curry couscous for a side. What this quest has left me asking whether there will be a revolution and/or interest in African cooking like there is in French. Who will be the Julia Child to bring African cuisine to the Western palate?

Here’s the link to the South African Chicken Sosaties I made earlier.

This is a Senegalese classic - a peanut butter stew. It’s traditionally made with lamb, but beef and chicken are growing more popular, and I used a local organic beef from upstate New York. It’s also served over rice. This dish doesn’t pack a flavor punch, but it was very close to what I remembered eating nightly in Uganda, well some variation. My friend who spent a lot of time on the African West Coast, also agreed on the bland factor, but it still brought back fond memories of candlelit dinners (we didn’t have electricity), ginger beer, and warm buggy nights. The recipe is very easy and the ingredients are minimal - something I really love about African cooking - pure simplicity. I also made brown rice, which I had in the pantry rather than white rice, but white rice is fluffier, and richer, which also helps the stew. Here’s how it goes:

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons peanut oil ( I used veg oil I had)

1 large onion, minced

2 pounds lamb stew meat (or chicken or beef), cut into 1.5 inch pieces

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (don’t use natural, it’s too oily and separates

1.5 cups cold water

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 cups hot water

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan, or pot, add teh onion, and cook over medium heat until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly browned on all sides.

2. In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter with the cold water and pour it over the meat. Dilute the tomato paste with the hot water, pour the liquid over the stew, and stirr well to make sure all ingredients are well mixed. Add the remaining ingredients, lower the heat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour (I didn’t need it to cook that long), or until the meat is tender. Remove the thyme sprigs and by leaves. Serve hot over white or brown rice.

I’ve searched the West Coast (San Francisco’s many large, indie bookstores) and the East Coast (Barnes & Noble’s largest store in the country) and I found 2 African cookbooks. One, Discovery of a Continent by Marcus Samuelsson, which was sold in Starbucks for a while, which I already owned. And I must add, I don’t feel it’s very well written for a Western cooking audience, if that’s who he is trying to expose to Sub Saharan food. The other cookbook, I found in Barnes and Noble in Union Square, which I could not link in my Amazon Store, because they don’t carry it. This is where this chicken kebab recipe came from, The Africa Cookbook, by Jessica B. Harris. I would highly recommend this book if you’re interested in taking a foray into African cooking - it’s much easier to read, and the sequence of the chapters makes a lot more sense to a Western person used to looking at Western cookbooks. Samuelsson’s book is more a combo of travel diary, photo book, and anetcdotes with some varying recipes of interest and detail. Harris’ book is for a more serious cook, that doesn’t need glossy pictures and long winded stories, just recipes that work and are relatively simple.

A woman in Padbe IDP camp, making homemade beer to sell

Last year, I traveled to Uganda and spent time in Kampala, as well as in the North, near the Sudan border. I think I got a real taste of what most people eat in that area, and it never included meat. There was no refrigeration first of all, and second, no one could afford it - you typically bought the whole animal and butchered it yourself - a long task if you get a large goat. So, the 2 meals I’m making this week, which include meat, are either for special occasions, or the better off. My friend who is South African is also advising me, and South Africa does tend to be the exception on the continent, when it comes to economy and food trends. So, chicken from South Africa seemed like a good jumping off point for an African cooking virgin.

This recipe was so simple, and I added couscous, which is a typical side dish in a lot of African countries. For the couscous, I followed the package directions, added a bit of curry, parsley, salt, pepper, and slivered almonds for a bit of crunch. Here is the marinade/recipe for the chicken:

If you can, marinate for 24 hours before cooking ( I did about 8 hours)

1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons vegatable oil

4 onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon hot Madras curry powder ( I used another spicy version I had on hand)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon light brown sugar (the key to this recipe’s flavor)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Cut the chicken into 3/4 inch cubes and place them in a deep bowl. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onions until they are lightly browned. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly to make sure the sugar has dissolved. Allow the marinade to cool and pour it over the chicken. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 24 hours.

2. If using wooden skewers, soak them in a cold water bath for at least 30 minutes before grilling, so they do not burn when grilling. When ready to grill, remove chicken pieces from the marinade, place them on skewers, and grill over a hot grill, stovetop grill (what we use), or under a broiler for about 10 minutes, turning once or until the chicken is cooked through. This can also be served with a sweet chutney or any other side.