For this month’s recipe, we decided it was high- time we try a dish from Togo. Despite her small size, Togo and her people have had a major impact on world culture. But its their delectable cuisine that we’ll be focusing on here. The Clarion’ s Distribution Coordinator and Photographer JD Atayi, who hails from Togo’s capital, was happy to help. Here’s what he had to say about his favorite Togolese dish.
“When I think of Ayimalo, happiness comes to mind. Because it’s a delicious staple food. No matter how much money you have, whenever you are hungry, its easy to find. I’m used to eating it with my friends and that’s one thing we used to do. Its so cool. Sometimes, we will be in class and will make an Ayimalo party. We give the money to one person who then goes out to buy it for everyone in class.
Its more street food for us. You can cook it home but it would lack the vibe and atmosphere that comes with eating it outside.
For us, ayimalo is a truly Togolese dish. Its right behind akume and veyi in terms of importance. You can mix it with anything, add anything to it to make your own, and it will still have that signature ayimalo taste.
The recipe below was my first attempt to make it in America. Although it worked and was delicious, I did cut a few corners due to a lack of ingredients. To show the diversity of ayimalo, I had my friend Caritas Klouvi (insert lastname) send a photo of his morning ayimalo and, for fun, one of a typical vegetable market in my hometown Lome. Bon apetit!”
delectable extravaganza. Photo Credit: JD Atayi
Ingredients
-half a bowl of black-eyed beans
-full bowl of basmati rice
-tomato sauce (small can)
-ginger powder/ginger root (smashed)
-1 sliced onion
-chili powder
-chicken broth/magi
-two chicken drums
Caritas Klouvi
Instructions:
Rice
-boil water and add the beans, let it boil till soft
-wash rice and add it to the pot with the beans without adding extra water. The water will have already darkened. Cook it as you would normal rice.
Sauce
-Put oil in the pot, let it heat
-cut the onion in half, blend one half, and slice the other and add it to the pot
-add tomato sauce
-add chicken broth and all spices (depending on your spice tolerance)
Chicken
-season drumsticks as preferred
-add chicken to the sauce and boil it till the chicken is completely cooked
-Add it all together and you’re done!
By Ismael David Mujahid, Executive Editor