West African Chili Food

WEST AFRICAN CHILI

Steps:

• Put the ham hock, bay leaves, garlic cloves, cumin and whole, dried lantern chilies in a large pot, cover with water, cover and bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. Add salt after a bit.
• In a separate pan, put the olive oil inches Cut up the yellow onions into little bits (1 cm squares) and caramelize them with the lid on. Add the cumin powder, curry powder, chili powder and hot paprika and coat the onions with the spices and toast the spices. Cut the tomatoes in half and shave them into the onions, discarding the skins. Stir a bit, cover and let cook for 15-20 more minutes Add salt to taste.
• Break up the cauliflower into bite-sized bits. Cut up the carrots and chard.
• Use a slotted spoon or noodle scooper, remove all the solid things from the broth. Discard the spices, remove the meat from the ham hock bone, skin it, and chop up the meat and add them and the bone back into the broth.
• Add the cauliflower and carrots to the pork broth, wait 5 mins after it starts to simmer again.
• Add the tomato-onion mixture. Then add the chard bits and stir.
• When it boils again, add the squished garlic. Taste and salt. It's ready.

WEST AFRICAN PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the peppers or jalapeno slices, tomato, onions, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, and Maggi in the food processor and blend until well combined and smooth (more or less - it depends on your preferences).
• Transfer the pepper mixture into a small sauce pan, bring to a boil and slowly simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with a pinch of sea salt.
• Half way through cooking, pour in olive oil.
• Let the sauce cool completely. Transfer it into a container with a lid and store in a fridge for about a week or more.
• Easy recommendation: in order for pepper sauce to last a long time (up to a month) make sure it is fully covered in oil.

VEGETARIAN WEST AFRICAN SOUP

Steps:

• To make peanut butter, process peanuts in food processor about 2 minutes until smooth, scraping the bowl at least once.
• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté onion in oil about 7 minutes until lightly browned.
• Add peanut butter plus sweet potato through tomatoes.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes until sweet potato is tender.
• Serve garnished with parsley.