1 1/2 cup corn/maize meal
1/2 cup soy flour
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 sugar to taste
1 cup water
1 oil
1 salt and pepper
Directions
Corn/maize was introduced to Africa from Latin America by the
Portuguese, mainly to provision their slave ships. The grain was
quickly accepted because it grew rapidly and undemanding in
cultivation. The name 'maize' comes from 'mahiz', the word used by
the Caribbean Taino Indians from whom the Europeans probably first
learned about the crop. in North American the English settlers were
shown it by local Indians. 'Corn' was a general name given to any
grain, so they called it simply 'Indian corn'.
Columbus noted that maize was "most tasty boiled, roasted or ground
into flour". And in southern Ghana today a common food is 'kenkey',
fermented corn/maize flour balls, wrapped in corn/maize leaves and
steamed. Akpith, this recipe, is more straightforward.
DIRECTIONS: =========== In a large saucepan, boil the water and then
in half of the corn/maize meal and all the soy flour to make a thick
porridge. Add the baking powder, chili powder if using and sugar;
season.
Cook this for 10 minutes over a low heat, stirring constantly. Then
remove the pan and set aside to cool for 10 minutes or so.
At this point, mix in the remaining corn/maize meal and combine
thoroughly, adding water to produce a stiff dough.
Now pour enough oil into a pan or wok to give a depth of around 2
inches (5 cms), and heat up. While it is warming mould the dough
into balls about 1 inch (2.5 cms) in diameter.
With the oil sizzling hot, slide 4 or 5 balls carefully into the pan
and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are golden brown.
* Source: The World in Your Kitchen - by Troth Wells * Typed for you
by Karen Mintzias
Servings: 6 servings
Akpith (Corn/Maize & Bean Flour Snack) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Appetizer; Bean
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to track the history of recipes far back into ancient history, in truth as far back as ancient Egypt, and potentially, even further back. Interesting though that is, generally, these early cook books were just basic pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing meals.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe found, according to experts in ancient history is a collection of tablets in Sumerian which show the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who tried it feel wonderful. During Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius created a collection of documents which described recipes cooked by his fellow Romans. In his publication, he tells us how the roman meals were separated into starters, main meal and desserts, something we still use today. This early Roman chef informs us how the ancient cooks were skilled in the use of a wide range of spices, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens like bay, mint and asafoetida. Later, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought us many new foods and herbs from the East, including spices like parsley, basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new culinary ideas was responsible for an explosion in books on cooking, many of which still exist in private collections. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cookery books are starting to become popular mostly as a result of increased literacy, people having increased spare time and a general increase in wealth. Like it or not, the introduction of TV gave us celebrity TV chefs and the recipe books that accompanied them. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing us all to access thousands of recipes just like those on this web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Akpith (Corn_Maize & Bean Flour Snack) recipe.
