FUFU, NJAMA NJAMA AND KATI KATI RECIPE (2024)

FAQs

What is Njama Njama made of? ›

Njama Njama (huckleberry), is a staple dish from the Northwest region of Cameroon. Njama Njama is traditionally made using huckleberry leaves, but we subbed them out with what we could find local to us – turnip greens – and we couldn't be happier with the results.

Most commonly known in English as "garden huckleberry," njama njama is the name used in Cameroon and other West African countries, as well as among many Africans in the diaspora, for this special plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae).

Nutritionally, njama njama offer lots of health benefits to consumers: provision of beta-carotene: which are extremely high in the leaves; vitamin E, medium to extremely high levels of folic and ascorbic acids; and medium levels of calcium and iron. It also contents between 2.0-4.0% of proteins and some alkaloids.

Njama Njama and FuFu – popular green vegetable in Cameroon, especially in the North West Region and to a lesser extent in Nigeria and Kenya, seasoned with paprika, cayenne and a little kick from the habanero pepper. Paired with fufu corn for a complete satisfying meal.

This West African dish (often classed as a 'swallow') is made from green plantains and is considered a lighter alternative to traditional cassava fufu. The high starch content of the unripe plantain means that the fufu has a mild flavour, with a subtle hint of sweetness that pairs well with savoury stews.

Yams are nutritious vegetables containing both macro- and micronutrients. They may have many health benefits, including relieving symptoms of menopause and lowering blood cholesterol levels. Yams (Dioscorea) are a type of tuber vegetable that originated in Asia, Africa, and the Carribean ( 1 ).

Fufu is rich in fibre which makes it a perfect candidate to lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease.

DASHEEN LEAVES or Dasheen Bush contains excellent amounts of vitamins and minerals like B6, C, niacin and potassium. Dasheen Tubers are very high in starch and are a good source of dietary fiber. Be sure to cook you Dasheen Bush and Dasheen Tubers properly.

Fufu is a traditional food of central and western Africa consisting of a starchy preparation compacted by hand into small balls. Fufu balls are usually swallowed without chewing to allow a sensation of stomach fullness throughout the day.

Although the original ingredients for fufu are boiled cassava, plantains, and cocoyam, yams (Ghana), it is also made in different ways in other West African countries.

What is fufu made of? ›

It consists of starchy foods—such as cassava, yams, or plantains—that have been boiled, pounded, and rounded into balls; the pounding process, which typically involves a mortar and pestle, can be laborious. Fufu is often dipped into sauces or eaten with stews of meat, fish, or vegetables.

The traditional recipe for fufu uses true yams, which are boiled and then pounded in a wooden mortar and pestle until they're smooth and sticky like dough.

In Ghana, Ivory Coast and Liberia, they use the method of separately mixing and pounding equal portions of boiled cassava with green plantain or cocoyam, or by mixing cassava/plantains or cocoyam flour with water and stirring it on a stove.

But the tastiest, as well as the easiest to prepare, is genfo, a simple wheat or barley porridge made spicy with berbere and rich with niter kibbee. It's sometimes called the Ethiopian fufu, the sticky staple western African dish made of pounded yams or cassava. So if you want a filling breakfast, try some genfo.