How To Make Fufu: The staple food Fufu is a flour dough made from starchy ground foods like cassava root, plantains, or malanga corn-or a combination of them all.
As an expression from the Twi language, fufu means “to mix together or to mash” and was introduced to the Americas by slaves. Caribbean cuisines and spellings were modified.
Various countries make their respective versions of fufu, including those from West Africa, as well as Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, which have added plantains and additional animal fats, such as butter or bacon.
A big round dough-like form of fufu is served in African tradition as a way to soak up the juices in stews or other brothy meals. Each guest pulls the dough by hand with a fork before using it.
In other words, fufu is true finger food and is intended to be eaten with clean hands.
A quarter-sized pinch of dough can be scooped up using your thumb by rolling it into a ball and then indenting it with your fingertips. The ball can then be wrapped around stew or sauce to taste.
What Does Fufu Taste Like?
It is not normally served alone, because it is usually served with an African soup that is usually very flavorful but can also be spicy. Fufu’s taste varies depending on the ingredients used, but it cannot be classified as sour, bland, or tart.
Why Does FufFu Smell?
When the cassava is not fermented prior to making into fufu, the fufu has a very mild smell, almost like that of mashed potatoes without the butter.
How to Make Water Fufu from Scratch – Cassava Fufu
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
The staple food of many African nations, fufu, is a fermented cassava root, which is cooked with a soup of your choice (such as a stew).
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: African
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients
- 6 large tubers of cassava (yuca root)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda optional
Instructions
- The cassava tuber must be sliced in half or sixths into pieces of approximately 5 or 6 pieces.
- Divide each piece horizontally while leaving the centre of the fibre.
- Use a knife to lift up the cassava skin then use your hand to remove the whole cassava skin.
- Cassava must be raked thoroughly and placed in a large container.
- Fill the container with water until where the cassava is completely covered with water and add two teaspoons of baking soda.
- The cassava should be covered and kept in a warm corner for three to five days to ferment.
- Since it is soft after fermentation, you can press the cassava with your finger to check if it has fermented well.
- Bear in mind that some won’t be very soft but if most are, then it is okay.
Fermenting Cassava Fufu:
You may need to puree the fermented cassava a few times after straining it. Place the pureed cassava in a food processor or blender. Using either your hands or a strainer, remove all the fibers in the puree. Puree can be strained out of fibers by adding water to the puree and passing it through a strainer or by running your hand through the puree and picking them out by hand.
The best way to remove excess water from the fufu is to squeeze a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth over the bowl. If you are not cooking the fufu right away, make sure to use your hands to squeeze excess water.
For fufu puree, you may need to add more water if you want to pass it through a strainer, but if you used a kitchen cloth and placed it in the sink, you will be able to push out the water more easily.
Your fufu is now ready for cooking when the extra water has been removed.
To Cook the Cassava Fufu:
- Place the raw fufu in a pot, and stir it with a fork to dissolve any excess lumps.
- Take a quarter cup of water and mix the raw fufu with it to make a paste.
- Stir it with a wooden spoon to ensure it does not form lumps again after two minutes of resting over medium heat.
- Cover after two minutes to ensure the lumps dissolve.
- Fufu must be stirred constantly until it goes from a bright white to an off-white colour, then continue to add water, as needed (about 1 cup total), and remain stirred to ensure it does not turn sticky.
- When it is an off-white color, remove it from the heat and shape it into lumps (like small balls or logs of wood).
- Enjoy your favorite soup! I love to eat it with eru or ogbono soup.
How To Make Fufu FAQs
1. How to Serve Fufu?
The way fufu dissolves in your mouth is what makes it great to serve with stews and soups. Fufu pairs well with Caribbean-style soups and stews. Think West African palaver or peanut butter soup. Or try it with traditional stews (osso buco, lamb, chicken) or soups that are more familiar to you.
2. How to Store Fufu?
Finished leftover fufu can be refrigerated for 4 to 5 days if it’s tightly wrapped in plastic. Let it come to room temperature before eating or reheat gently behind damp paper towels in the microwave.
3. Can Fufu be Reheated?
Yes, you can reheat fufu. Adding a splash of water and heating the ball in the microwave for about 5 minutes will reheat the fufu. Ensure the surface is smooth with a wooden stirrer as you stir it until it is hot and a bit smoother.