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About this dish
West Africa's great pounded starch — cassava and plantain (or yam) pounded in a wooden mortar until smooth and elastic, formed into balls and served with soup. The correct technique requires two people — one pounding, one turning. Fufu is eaten by pinching off a piece, rolling it into a ball, making an indent with the thumb and using it to scoop soup. Never chewed — swallowed whole.
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Ingredients
🌿Cassava (fresh or frozen), 500g peeled and cut into chunks
🍌Unripe plantains, 2 medium, peeled and cut into chunks
💧Water, for boiling and wetting the mortar
🧂Salt, a pinch (optional)
🥣Light soup or palm nut soup, to serve
🐟Smoked fish or goat meat, for the accompanying soup
Method
Serves 41
Peel the cassava and plantains, cut into rough chunks, then rinse well under cold water. Place them into a large pot, cover with water, and boil together for 25–30 minutes until completely soft and a fork slides in with no resistance.2
Drain the boiled cassava and plantain thoroughly and remove any fibrous threads from the cassava. Allow them to cool just slightly so they are handleable but still very hot — they pound far better warm.3
Transfer the pieces into a large wooden mortar. Begin pounding firmly with the pestle, working in a steady rhythm. Ideally, one person pounds while a second person quickly turns and folds the fufu between strokes using wet hands, pulling it away from the sides.4
Continue pounding and turning for 15–20 minutes, adding tiny splashes of warm water as needed to keep the mixture from sticking. The fufu is ready when it forms a completely smooth, stretchy, lump-free dough that pulls away cleanly from the mortar walls.5
Wet your hands with cold water, scoop out a portion of the fufu, and shape it into a smooth round ball by cupping it between your palms and rotating firmly. Place each ball into an individual serving bowl.6
Ladle hot light soup or palm nut soup generously over or alongside the fufu ball. To eat, pinch off a small piece with your fingers, press your thumb in to form a hollow, and use it to scoop up the soup and chunks of meat or fish — do not chew, simply swallow.7
To eat, pinch off a small piece with your fingers, roll it into a smooth ball in your palm, press your thumb into the centre to make a hollow, and use it to scoop up a mouthful of soup and meat. Do not chew — let it slide down whole, as is traditional.User Reviews
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