West African Plant Based Cuisine - 6 week course

Live Online Cookery Class - West African Plant Based Cuisine - 6 week course

The Event

Join vegan chef, TV & radio personality and author, Nena Ubani - aka Duchess Nena - for an exciting plant based culinary journey through West Africa in our cookery course celebrating this region. You can book the whole 6 week course or book as single classes and all proceeds go towards our community meal service.

The course will include:

• An introduction to African cooking techniques for preparing authentic dishes and exciting flavours
• Learn to make authentic plant based versions of a variety of West African dishes, including fufu, Mushroom Suya, fermented Attieke, Jollof rice and Okra stew
• How to make West African sides including Ogi, Kelewele and Yam oven chips
• Learn to make Zobo, a very popular Nigerian drink
• Health benefits of each dish
• Learn traditional cookery techniques using just your hands - no gadgets required
• How to plate, style and eat with your hands
• Knife skills - how to peel, chop and slice like a professional
• Opportunity to ask Nena questions
• Recipe handouts

Course dates:

1. Sat 9 Jan 10.30am-1pm
2. Sat 16 Jan 10.30am-1pm
3. Sat 23 Jan 10.30am-1pm
4. Sat 30 Jan 10.30am-1pm
5. Sat 6 Feb 10.30am-1pm
6. Sat 13 Feb 10.30am-1pm

Full details for each week, as well as ingredients and equipment needed are listed below….

About Nena

Nena Ubani (also known as Duchess Nena) is a self-taught vegan chef, television & radio personality, author, and master herbalist. She developed an interest in cooking 20 years ago while working as a sous chef in a restaurant. Her interest in cooking and creating recipes were revived when she became vegan four years ago. Nena believes that food is medicine and incorporates healing herbs in her cooking.

Fee: £100 (£50 concession)* for the 6 week course or book as single classes at £20 (£10 concession)*.  You can pay using PayPal, Klarna - Pay later, Klarna - Slice it and Apple Pay/Google Pay.

*All funds raised go towards our community meal service providing free nutritious, tasty meals to households who need them during these challenging times. 

If you are able to donate to our crowdfunder please visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/...

If you would like to be added to our FREE online community class mailing list - just drop a line to classes@madeinhackney.org. Please note that, in the interest of fairness, opportunities to attend free classes are limited. 

Refunds: we require a minimum of 7 days' notice for any cancellations or transfers once you have booked.

Week 1: Sat 9 Jan 2021

INTRODUCTION TO WEST AFRICAN COOKING

This  introductory session will include:

• Learn to make Mushroom Suya, a spicy kebab style grilled snack eaten in most West African countries
• Make delicious Yam oven chips
• West African cooking methods
• Where to buy your ingredients
• Vegan meat substitutes
• Learn about ethical palm oil, an important ingredient in West African cooking, and how to source it

Week 2 - Sat 16 Jan 2021

HOW TO MAKE ATTIÈKÉ

This session will include:

• Learning about the fermentation process involved in making Attieke, a fermented Cassava Couscous dish from Ivory Coast
• Importance of fermented foods for a healthy gut
• How to prepare, serve and eat Attieke – to enjoy with a side salad and either hot pepper or chilli sauce

Week 3 - Sat 23 Jan 2021

PARTY JOLLOF RICE & KELEWELE (SPICY PLANTAIN) + ZOBO DRINK

This session will include:

• The origin of Jollof rice, an essential celebratory dish and a must in most West African households
• Learning about Party Jollof, the most popular rice because of its unique taste
• How to prepare Jollof rice
• Ghana vs Nigerian Jollof (similarities and variations in West African dishes)
• How to peel and cut plantain for Kelewele, a spicy fried plantain dish
• How to make the rub for Kelewele
• How to make a finished Kelewele dish
• How to make Zobo drink - a much-loved Nigerian drink made with sorrel leaves - and learn about its health benefits

Week 4 - Sat 30 Jan 2021

 EGUSI/AGUSHI SOUP WITH UNRIPE PLANTAIN FUFU

This session will include:

• Health benefits of Egusi, a popular broth made from Melon seeds
• How to prepare the ingredients before starting to cook
• How to make Egusi broth
• How to make fufu, a traditional dough-like food often enjoyed as an accompaniment to soups, made from unripe plantain.

Week 5 - Sat 6 Feb 2021

OKRA STEW WITH GARI

This session will include:

• Learn to make Okra Stew, another popular west African soup, often enjoyed with fufu
• How to identify and select fresh okra
• Different ways to cut and prepare okra for the soup
• Learing about Gari, a dried cassava root ground into a flour, and how to make it
• Health benefits of okra

Week 6 - Sat 13 Feb 2021

AKARA /KOSAI

Our final session will include:

• Learn to make Akara from scratch, a versatile fritter dish made with black eyed beans
• How to soak, peel and prepare the beans before cooking
• How to make Akara burgers, wraps with salad and pancakes
• Learn to make Ogi, a delicious fermented cereal pudding from Nigeria
• Make a real treat to finish your course: Oreo puff-puffs with fruit!

INGREDIENTS LIST: 

* Ingredients marked with an asterisk can be bought in any Afro- Caribbean shop. Contact Uziiza (WhatsApp 07425186855) if having difficulties purchasing.  Nena can help you find a stockist in your area or source the ingredient for you.

Week 1: INTRODUCTION TO WEST AFRICAN COOKING + Mushroom Kebab with Yam chips 

• approx 10 oyster mushrooms 
• Half a tuber of yam 
• Oil (preferably Avocado)
• 1 tablespon nutritional yeast

Suya spice: 

•  I scotch bonnet Pepper 
• A pinch of sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon Peanuts or peanut butter (optional) 
• 2 Ehuru* seeds ( African nutmeg) 
• 1 pod Uda * (grains of Selim)
•  ½  cucumber 
• 1 bulb of onion 

Week 2 : HOW TO MAKE ATTIÈKÉ

• 1 pack Dry/ frozen Attieke
• 1 tin plum tomatoes
• 1 Red onion 
• 1 Green pepper 
• 1 cup of Mushroom
• ½ lettuce
• Oil ( preferably avocado)
• ½ tsp curry powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• Bouillon cube
• 3 cups spinach
• Vegan Shito ( uziiza.com)
• Veg meat ( uziiza.com)
• Serve with hot pepper sauce or chilli sauce (optional)
• Serve with any salad as a side

 Week 3: PARTY JOLLOF RICE + KELEWELE (SPICY PLANTAIN)+ ZOBO DRINK

• 1 kg Golden Stella Rice (a type of basmati rice found in supermarkets or afro-caribbean shops)
• 2 tins plum Tomatoes
• ½ cup frozen Mixed vegetables 
• 1 bulb Onion
• 2 Bay leaves
• ½ tsp Thyme
• ½ tsp Rosemary
• 1 tsp Curry
• Sea salt to taste
•  Oil (preferable Avocado)
• Vegetable stock/Bouillon cube 
• 1 bell Pepper
• 1 scotch bonnet
• 2 Ripe plantains 
• 1 finger of Ginger
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 1 whole Pineapple
• 1 tablespoon of cloves 
• 1 orange
• 1 stick of cinnamon 
• Salad to enjoy as a side dish

Week 4:  EGUSI/AGUSHI SOUP WITH UNRIPE PLANTAIN FUFU

• 2 cups Egusi seeds*
• 1 tsp Iru* (fermented seeds)
• ½ cup Uziza* leaves
• 2 cups Spinach
• ½ Onion
• 1 cup Mushrooms 
• ½ cup of Red oil (palm oil)*
• 2 tablespoon Bouillon powder/ 1 cube
• 2 green/Unripe plantains

Week 5: OKRA STEW WITH GARI

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Okra
• 1 cup Spinach 
• 1 tin plum tomatoes
• 1 scotch bonnet
• ½ red bell pepper
• 1 Onion
• 1 bouillon cube
• 1 tsp Iru
• 1 cup Mushrooms 
• Firm tofu
• 2 cups Gari* 
• Sea salt to taste

Week 6: AKARA /KOSAI + OGI +  OREOS PUFF PUFF

• 2 cups Black eyed beans
• 1 bulb Onions
• 1 Scotch bonnet Pepper 
• Oil (Avocado oil)
• Sea salt 
• Thyme
• Ogi* flour 
• 2 cups spelt flour 
• ½ cup brown sugar 
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 burger buns (ideally wholemeal)
• A pack of oreos 
• ½ tsp nutmeg powder
• 2 tablespoons active yeast 
• Salad to enjoy as a side

RECOMMNEDED SUBSITUTES IF YOU CANNOT FIND CERTAIN INGREDIENTS:

Yam - Potatoes 

Ehuru seeds - Nutmeg 

Veg shito - Pepper sauce

Iru seeds -  soy sauce /fermented mushrooms 

Uziza leaves - spinach 

EQUIPMENT LIST: 

• Blender/Food processor
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Oven/air fryer
• Cooker/hob
• Pan /pot
• Kettle
• Tin opener
• Mortar and pestle (optional)

For information: classes@madeinhackney.org / 020 8442 4266

Location: Zoom, details to be provided via email (usually the day before the class). Check your junk mail if need be!