Ghanaian Fufu with Light Soup

About This Recipe

Ghanaian Fufu with Light Soup is a real, traditional Ghanaian dish. Pounded, stretchy cassava and plantain dough served alongside a light, peppery tomato-based soup with goat meat.\n\nFufu is a foundational staple across West Africa, traditionally made by pounding boiled cassava, yam or plantain in a large wooden mortar until smooth and elastic, historically a communal, labor-intensive process central to many Ghanaian family meals.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Ghanaian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 kgcassava(peeled and cut into chunks)
• 2unripe plantains(peeled and cut into chunks)
• 800 ggoat meat(cut into pieces)
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 4tomatoes(blended)
• 2scotch bonnet peppers(whole)
• 1 tspground ginger
• 2chicken or beef stock cubes
• 1.5 Lwater
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 2 tbspchopped fresh basil or scent leaves

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the fufu ingredients

   Boil the cassava and plantain chunks together in water until very soft, about 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Pound the fufu

   Drain and pound the cassava and plantain together, traditionally in a large mortar with a pestle, until it forms a smooth, stretchy, elastic dough, adding a splash of water as needed. Shape into rounds.

3. 3

   Cook the soup

   In a separate pot, combine goat meat, onion, blended tomatoes, whole scotch bonnets, ginger, stock cubes and water. Bring to a simmer.

4. 4

   Simmer long

   Cover and simmer for 1 hour until the goat meat is tender and the soup has developed a light, brothy consistency, unlike thicker peanut-based soups.

5. 5

   Season

   Season with salt to taste and stir in fresh basil or scent leaves at the end.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve the fufu rounds alongside the light soup in a bowl, to be torn off by hand and dipped into the broth.

Variations

• •

  Use yam instead of cassava and plantain for a different traditional fufu base.

• •

  Add smoked fish alongside or instead of goat meat.

• •

  Some households add okra to the soup for extra body.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions