Nigerian Okra Stew with Fu-Fu

So far, I’ve taken more than one leap of faith when it comes to making a dish. And here we go again with this Nigerian Okra Stew with Fu-Fu.  Let’s jump together, shall we?

Often I can sort of tell by the ingredients whether or not I’ll like something, but sometimes, it’s a crap shoot.  And I’m okay with that.  However, sometimes, rather than risk guessing what “might” be good in an area, it’s nice to rely on friendly recommendations (so send them if you have any when I get to a certain place!).  My friend Annie’s sister spent some time in Ghana for a stint in the Peace Corps, and Annie went to visit her.  Of everything she ate (all of which she said was fantastic), she raved about the Okra Stew.  When she described the dish, I’m pretty sure there was a bit of drool sneaking its way out of the corner of her mouth.  Anyhow, she went on to recount the dining experience, how she and her parents sat scooping up the thick stew with this “mashed potato-like stuff,” making a delicious and glorious mess.  My other friend Lynn also recently went to Ghana, and confirmed that Okra Stew and fu-fu (the mashed potato-like stuff) was the way to go for my last meal in Western Africa.

I can’t say I’ve ever cooked much with okra. Besides my family’s Christmas Eve gumbo, I never buy it, though I’m not at all opposed to it. Living in the Louisiana for the few years that I did, I know that it’s a very versatile ingredient regularly used in dishes throughout the southern U.S.  The version of this okra stew I got from Lynn, and it comes from Nigeria.  She also told me that, as an alternative to fu-fu, smashed plantains or rice could be used. However, since Annie painted such a pretty picture of how this meal should be eaten, how could I eat it any other way?

I made a few tweaks to this recipe based on ingredients I could find and how these flavors fit into what I’ve recently made. I used fish per Lynn’s suggestion, but traditionally it’s made with beef, ground or cubed. I also couldn’t readily find red palm oil, but Lynn assured me any regular oil would be just fine, so I used coconut oil.  And it was.  As for the fu-fu, the authentic recipe calls for cassava flour which as time as trotted on has become more readily available as the US seems to go gluten-free.

Taking leftover to work, Annie gave it a hearty thumbs up. Success!

I will say that, though I loved the soup, I found the fu-fu a bit poo-poo. It just wasn’t my thing. Much like the injera served with Ethiopian food (more on that in a few weeks), I found it superfluous and ended up using a spoon rather than making a mess all over myself, which is what I no-doubt would have done.

Anyway, this is different, but that’s what cooking is about- experimentation! So don’t be turned off by its murky appearance.  If you try it, you will find  yourself pleasantly surprised.