Fufu (Ghana)

Bring water to a rapid boil in a large, heavy pot. Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the water.

Stir constantly for 10 - 15 minutes - a process that needs two people for best results: one to hold the pot while the other stirs vigorously with a strong implement (such as a thick wooden spoon). The mixture will become very thick and difficult to stir, but unless you are both vigilant and energetic, you'll get a lumpy mess.

When the fufu is ready (or you've stirred to the limits of your endurance!), dump about a cup of the mixture into a wet bowl and shake until it forms itself into a smooth ball. Serve on a large platter alongside a soup or stew.

Recipe Source: The Africa News Cookbook: African Cooking for Western Kitchens

Cook's Notes: Conventional west African fufu is made by boiling such starchy foods as cassava, yam, plantain or rice, then pounding them into a glutenous mass, usually in a giant, wooden mortar and pestle. The first early-morning sounds of rural west Africa are often the rhythmic thud-thud's of fufu being made.

This adaptation for North Americans may trouble you if you try to stick to minimally-processed foods. But it's worth trying at least once with West African groundnut stews.