Recipes Using Red Palm Oil Food

RED RED

Steps:

• Add the black-eyed peas, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt to a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer, adding 1 cup of water as needed as the water evaporates, until the beans are firm to the bite (not mushy), 40 to 45 minutes. Drain the water from the beans.
• Crush the garlic, tomatoes, red bell pepper and onion in a blender or food processor, about 30 seconds.
• Heat the palm oil in a medium pot over medium heat until the oil starts to smoke and tiny bubbles start to form in the oil. Add the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Season the mixture with the bouillon powder, curry powder and cayenne if using and stir to combine. Simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the stew thickens and the beans are tender to the touch, about 25 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
• Serve the stew with a side of fried plantains or steamed white rice.

MOQUECA (BRAZILIAN SEAFOOD STEW)

Steps:

• Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut along the length of each prawn deep enough to expose and remove the vein. Place the fish chunks in a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and toss to coat. Set the prawns and fish aside while preparing the sauce.
• In a large, shallow Dutch oven or large, deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons dendê oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add the onion, stir and cook, stirring until translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Increase the heat to high, add the peppers, tomatoes and chile. Season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are softened and any liquid from the tomatoes is beginning to evaporate, 4 minutes.
• Pour in the coconut milk, stir and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and reduces to a creamy sauce, about 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the salt, if necessary, and stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.
• Carefully place the prawns in the sauce in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the prawns to cook the other sides and add the cod. (Discard any juices in the bowl.) The fish will be partly submerged. Cook until the fish is tender and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon dendê oil and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Slice the remaining lime into wedges. Serve immediately, with steamed rice and lime wedges for squeezing.

RED RED

Steps:

• Tip the soaked black-eyed beans into a large pot with 2.5 litres water. Peel the whole garlic clove, lightly crush it with the back of a knife and add it to the pot with the rosemary and 2 tbsp salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 mins, then add the bicarb and cook for 10-20 mins more until the beans are tender.
• Meanwhile, heat 90ml of the red palm oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and fry the onions for 8-10 mins until translucent. Add the ginger, grated garlic and the scotch bonnet, and cook for 3 mins. Tip in the blitzed tomatoes and cook for 20 mins - it's ready when the oil starts to rise to the surface. Add the shrimp powder, if using.
• Tip in the canned mackerel along with its sauce, shrimp boullion cube and tomato purée. Drain the beans, then add to the pan. Stir the sauce and beans together and cook over a low heat for 10 mins, then add the remaining palm oil. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.
• Rinse the plantains under cold running water and cut open carefully. Slice into coins about 1cm thick. Heat a 1cm depth of vegetable oil in a large frying pan set over a medium-high heat and fry the plantain in batches for 3-4 mins on each side until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a tray lined with kitchen paper and leave to drain. Season with salt, then keep warm in a low oven.
• Halve the avocado, remove the stone, then peel carefully to keep the shape intact. Cut each half in half again so you have four quarters, then slice each piece lengthways, but not all the way through the tip. Gently spread the slices apart to create avocado fans.
• Ladle the red red into bowls and top with the avocado and, if using, 1 tsp gari. Together, the avocado and gari should cover half of the bowl. Serve portions of fried plantain in bowls alongside.

AFRICAN CHICKEN CURRY IN RICH PALM OIL

Steps:

• Cut the potatoes into large bite size pieces and boil them in water for 7 minutes. Discard the water and set potatoes aside.
• Finely dice all the onions. Peel and mince garlic cloves (I toss them in the spice grinder and pulse but do not use a garlic press). Mince or grind ginger (again I use a spice grinder for this). Cut the green peppers into large bite size pieces.
• Set aside 1 tsp of cumin seed for later. Grind the whole spice mix minus the 1 tsp cumin seed and combine with the ground turmeric (you can also use whole turmeric and grind with the whole spices but it's a pain because whole turmeric is rock hard and probably makes no difference versus the ground turmeric). Do not use pre ground spices.
• Heat the palm oil on high in a wide, deep nonstick pan. It should quickly begin to sizzle and smoke. Add the 1 tsp of whole cumin seed you set aside. Add the saffron. After a half minute or so add the diced onions. Stir around giving the onions a chance to brown. While you are doing this add the ginger, garlic and then the spice mixture. Once the onions are browned add the tomato, lemon juice (optional) and the coconut milk. Stir it up and then slowly mix in the yoghurt. You should have a nice looking sauce by now. Taste for salt and if not enough then add more to taste (do not do this after you add the raw chicken). Add the potatoes and green peppers and then the raw chicken thighs. Mix it up real good and lower the heat to low. Cover the pan tightly and let cook on the stove on low for approximately one hour checking on it occasionally (it should bubble a bit - if not turn the heat up a little). After one hour look at the sauce. If it is soupy then remove all the thighs and set aside and leave the pan uncovered and turn up the heat to high. Stand by at this point and intermittently stir while the sauce boils. Reduce to a medium thick sauce. Lower the heat back to low, return the chicken to the pan and stir it up. When you are ready to serve the food turn off the heat and chop the cilantro finely and throw into the pan and stir. Your curry is done. Serve over basmati rice or with warm naan bread.