Fufu Recipe

Fufu is a staple of West African cuisine you can easily serve with stews and soups to complete a delicious and satisfying meal. Traditionally made from cassava root and green plantains, it is a smooth, dense, soul-satisfying, and mild-flavored side dish that turns almost any dinner into finger food.

Course Side

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 445kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1 medium cassava tuber
2 fingers green plantain
water (enough to just cover the cassava and plantain)
1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Instructions

With a Food Processor

Peel and slice the cassava and plantain with a knife into medium-size pieces, take out the cassava's core and the plantain's tiny seeds, and rinse.
Place the pieces in a saucepan, cover with water, add optional salt, and cook over medium heat. (Cooking is vital for cassava because it is toxic raw.)
Boil for 30 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the water.
Add the cooked plantain and cassava to a food processor and blend. Use a spoon to move it around as necessary to ensure even blending. Add water by the spoonful as needed until you achieve desired texture. It should be soft and stretchy.
Turn it onto a wet plate or bowl and fold it into itself until it is smooth.

Traditional Method

Using a mortar and pestle, start by pounding the plantain into a smooth dough and set it aside. Then do the same for the cooked cassava.
Combine the plantain and the cassava.
Mold the mixture into the portion size of your choice and place it in serving bowls.
The fufu is ready to serve with the soup of your choice.

Notes

Please cook cassava (yuca) well before mashing. Raw cassava contains toxins that can make you sick
Before serving, stir the fufu around to check for any lumps. If you have lumps, you can pinch them out with your hand
If your fufu doesn't have the right texture or consistency, you can cook the mixture in a pot on medium heat while constantly stirring until you get the desired results
To get your fufu into a perfect ball shape, get your hand wet, fold the mixture into itself, and flip it over to reveal the smooth side before serving
You can also use plastic wrap to form the fufu into a circle by wrapping it and twisting it until you get the shape you want.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition