Fufu (Ghanaian Pounded Cassava and Plantain)
In short: Fresh cassava and unripe plantain boiled, then pounded or processed into a smooth, stretchy dough shaped into balls for scooping up soup. It takes about 1 h 5 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 430 kcal
Fufu is the soft, stretchy dough that Ghanaians eat with light soup, groundnut soup and palm nut soup. Cassava and unripe plantain are boiled until tender and pounded in a wooden mortar until smooth and elastic. You do not chew fufu: you pinch off a piece, dip it in the soup and swallow. This version uses a food processor and a short stir over heat, which suits home kitchens, though a mortar gives the best texture.
Instructions
- Peel the cassava, halve the pieces lengthwise and cut out the tough fibrous core. Score the plantain skins lengthwise and pry them off.
- Boil the cassava and plantains in plenty of salted water for 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain, saving the cooking water.
- While hot, process half the pieces in a food processor with 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the hot cooking water until smooth and sticky. Repeat with the rest.
- Scrape the dough into a nonstick pot and stir hard with a wooden spoon over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is smooth, stretchy and pulls away from the sides.
- Rinse a bowl with water, put in a portion of dough and swirl it into a smooth ball. Repeat to make 8 balls. Serve at once in a bowl of hot soup.
Tips
- For the traditional method, pound the hot boiled pieces in a wooden mortar a few at a time, turning the mass with a wet hand, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- Wet your hands and bowl before shaping, because fufu sticks when dry. Shape it while hot, since it stiffens as it cools.
Questions and answers
How do you eat fufu?
Pinch off a small piece with your right hand, press a dent into it, dip it in the soup and swallow it without chewing. Fufu is meant to carry the soup.
Can I use fufu flour instead of fresh cassava?
Yes. Cook the flour with water as the package says, stirring over low heat until smooth. It is the quick option, but fresh fufu has a better flavor.
Can I make fufu ahead?
It is best fresh. Wrap leftover balls in plastic and reheat them in the microwave for about 1 minute or steam them, because they harden in the fridge.
How long does it take to make Fufu (Ghanaian Pounded Cassava and Plantain)?
About 1 h 5 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Fufu (Ghanaian Pounded Cassava and Plantain)?
About 430 kcal per serving, with 3 g of protein, 105 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 430 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 105 g |
| Fat | 1 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 220 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
