African cream puff?

November 5, 2012 11:07 AM

African Cuisine: I remember two awesome things I ate on a festival years ago. I want to make them myself. Problem: I don't know what exactly it was. Do you?

1) Likely millet, but there may have been a second version with rice. Prepared in a pan, vegetarian. Mild taste. The closest thing I can compare it to would be fried rice with vegetables that Chinese restaurants serve with duck.

2) A dessert. Looks like a miniature cream puff, same dough, but not filled. Sweet, but not tooth-achingly sweet taste.

I ate both from the same booth on a festival; the booth was only labeled "African". The owner either said that she is from Ghana and the food a traditional recipe from Kenya or vice versa, if that is any help.

What are these two things and where can I find recipes?

posted by MinusCelsius to food & drink (6 answers total)

I'd guess the second is mandazi (Kenyan/Tanzanian dessert) - I've successfully made them using a recipe much like this one.
posted by ChuraChura at 11:12 AM on November 5, 2012

The first one sounds like jollof rice.
posted by mykescipark at 11:13 AM on November 5, 2012

Lived in an African country and traveled in several African countries, too, based on this:

The dessert was probably beignets;I think that I saw these in every village/country that I traveled in there. Try this linked recipe, but probably not confectioners sugar if you want it to be like you would find in Africa, and more like a rounded ball.

Typed too slow, in preview, the first answer lists the same thing, just a different name.
posted by Wolfster at 11:14 AM on November 5, 2012

Oh, and if it was typical Kenyan food, the first might be pilau.
posted by ChuraChura at 11:16 AM on November 5, 2012

I used to live in Ghana; I second the suggestion of jollof rice and beignets. You may find many similar recipes (and answers here at AskMe) with different names for the same food, it's quite normal. If you want to add to your repertoire, my favorite is this peanut stew
posted by whatzit at 12:41 PM on November 5, 2012

2) seems to be solved (looks right, gotta try make it to be sure)

About 1) - the jollof rice looks too red. I'm not even sure there were any tomatoes in the mix. The pilau looks right from the color, but I'm certain what I ate was vegetarian and meat seems to be an important ingredient of pilau.
I guess I'll try out both recipes and leave out the meat. The festival has a reputation to draw a big vegetarian/vegan crowd, so it is possible the booth made it vegetarian "on popular demand".
posted by MinusCelsius at 1:47 PM on November 5, 2012