Try a favourite Ghanaian dish today! Banku and Tilapia will satisfy all your delicious taste needs and nutritional purposes
Banku, a staple food in Ghana is quite easy to prepare, by using corn dough and cassava dough and water depending on the thickness you want.
Aside from containing varying amounts of water, corn is mainly composed of carbohydrates, and has small amounts of protein and fat.
Also, the cassava used contains B-complex group of vitamins such as folates, thiamin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin, and pantothenic acid.
Fresh tilapia is marinated with various local spices and grilled under moderate heat based on customers request retaining all its essential nutrients needed by the body.
Due to its fresh state, tilapia is the preferred choice for people on a diet since it can be fried, baked, or smoked without any spices and oil.
Those not into frozen foods can easily enjoy fresh tilapia without any health complications.
What makes tilapia different from other fishes? Tilapia is a delicious, lean white fish which has the weight loss abilities, boost overall metabolism, build strong bones, and reduces the risk of various chronic diseases.
Tilapia prevents various types of cancer, reduces signs of aging, boosts the health of your hair, and strengthens the immune system.
The pepper, tomatoes and onions used in the preparation of the accompanying hot pepper to the banku and tilapia not only contains essential nutrients by other beauty benefits such as flawless skin, prevents wrinkles and promotes growth of hair.
On the commercial side, small scale entrepreneurs are making fortunes each day from rearing tilapia artificially, no high cost of importation duties and based on personal observation, these artificially tilapia are well fed, and juicy enough to entice buyers.
The tilapia caught from the rivers is somehow not allowed by folks in the local fishing communities to grow due to the desire to make extra cash.
Recipe
Ingredients
Fresh large sized Tilapia
Natural spices for seasoning your Tilapia (ginger,garlic, rosemary, cloves etc)
Corn dough
Cassava Dough
Salt to taste
Fresh Tomatoes and pepper
Bulb onions
Method
Clean your Tilapia, descale it and spice it with your preferred natural spices. Leave for some minutes for the fish to be well seasoned. (well well). Then put on the grill and into the oven.
From time to time, be glazing the fish with oil and turning as and when needed so as to not get stuck on the grill or burning, and get well cooked.
Make sure your hands are thoroughly clean before you begin with the banku. Mix and mash your portions of corn and cassava dough in a pot of water, making sure to take out all lumps and fibre pieces in it.
Do this until the mixture is paste-like, with an extremely smooth consistency Add a pinch of salt.
Put your paste on fire and stir with your wooden stirrer (banku ‘ta’). Stir gently until it starts to thicken.
With time, it gets thicker and thicker and gathers at the bottom of the wooden stirrer. You would have to apply more force here as it gets harder with time.
Reduce the heat, hold the pot in place with a napkin or sackcloth and start to beat through with the wooden spoon. Do this for about 6 minutes with brief stops in between
Use the wooden spoon to create perforations in the thick mass, add water, increase the fire and cover to cook.
By now your Tilapia should be ready or almost ready. Keep glazing and turning intermittently.
Wash your fresh tomatoes, pepper and bulb onions. Grind as many as you would prefer in an earthenware masher (Some like theirs hot, others not so hot) slice some onions on the side. Salt to taste.
Check on your banku and make sure the water does not fully dry up. Repeat the kneading process until smooth.
When smooth to your satisfaction, use a smaller bowl to shape the banku into preferred serving sizes.
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