October 2, 2012
Celebrating Sukkot, remembering Africa
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Rabbi Miriyam Glazer working on a construction project at Challenging Heights in Ghana.
RED RED
Red Red gets its name from the palm oil, whose own redness comes from being rich in vitamin A and beta carotene. (Palm oil is available from African Produce, 4564 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles). Dawadawa is a spice made from fermented carob seeds (also known as locust beans). It is sometimes sold as a paste and should be ground in a blender until powdery. It adds a rich flavor, but you can eliminate it, adding an extra 1/2 teaspoon of ginger instead. (Dawadawa is available from Obichi Enterprises, 4750 1/2 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles).
Red Red is delicious served with fried plantains, which are frequently available in our local supermarkets. Peel them when ripe (with black spots); slice them thinly on the diagonal, sprinkle with lemon juice and a dash of salt, and fry in a bit of oil until they’re well browned. Drain well.
- 1/2 cup palm oil
- l large onion (1 pound), chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 large tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dawadawa
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Heat the oil gently in a large skillet and add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger. Cook over low to medium heat until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, cayenne pepper and dawadawa. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until reduced. Add the black-eyed peas. Sprinkle in salt and black pepper to taste. Cook 5 to 10 minutes longer, stirring frequently.
Serves 4 as a side dish.
GROUNDNUT SOUP
There are hundreds of versions of Groundnut Soup, a dish frequently served with chicken or fish in many countries of West Africa.Charles Quansah’s version is vegetarian and was made, of course, with Ghanaian ground-nut paste (available locally at African Produce). But American salt-free, additive-free peanut butter (“groundnuts” are peanuts) is less expensive — and it is utterly delicious in this recipe. Just make sure your peanut butter is made without sugar or added flavorings.
- 1/2 cup peanut oil
- 1 large onion (1 pound), chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (1-inch) piece ginger root, chopped
- 1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes in juice or 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes, peeled
- 3 green or red peppers, or a combination, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dawadawa
- Salt and black black pepper to taste
- 16 ounces smooth unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter blended with an equal amount of boiling water, mixed with 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 quart vegetable broth or water
- 1 eggplant or 4 small Japanese eggplants,
- peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 (1-pound) bag frozen sliced okra
Heat the peanut oil in a soup pot and add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger over low-medium heat, cooking until the onions are soft. Add tomatoes with their liquid and the chopped peppers, and bring to a boil. Add the dawadawa, salt and black pepper; stir. Add the diluted peanut butter mixed with the tomato paste. Continue boiling slowly — heat should be moderately high. When the vegetables are soft, blend or puree the soup until smooth, using a blender or an immersion blender. Add the vegetable broth. Taste and season again, if necessary, with additional salt and pepper.
Let the soup cook about 10 minutes longer, then add the eggplant and okra, cooking just until the eggplant and okra are heated through.
Serves 8 to 10.
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