National Dish Ghana: Fufu with Light Soup (Recipe)
In this article
Fufu with Light Soup is a smooth, elastic ball of pounded starch in a thin, fiery broth. The fufu is not chewed. You pinch off a piece, dip it, and swallow, which visitors find alarming and Ghanaians find obvious.
About Fufu with Light Soup
Fufu is cassava and plantain boiled and pounded together until it becomes smooth and stretchy. Light soup, nkrakra, is a clear broth of blended tomato, onion, pepper and ginger, usually with goat, chicken or fish in it. Together they are Ghana’s national dish.
The pounding traditionally takes two people, one wielding a pestle and one turning the dough between strikes.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 500 g yam or plantain
- 1 litre water
- 2 onions
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 1 piece of ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- Spices to taste (e.g. salt, pepper, chilli)
- Fresh herbs (e.g. parsley or coriander)
Shopping for the ingredients
Cassava and plantain in roughly equal parts is the classic fufu mix; yam alone gives a firmer result. Fufu flour, sold in African grocers, skips the pounding and is what most people now use. For the soup, a scotch bonnet is the right chilli, and goat meat is the traditional protein.
Preparing the dish
The soup and the fufu are made separately. Blend the tomato, onion, pepper and ginger raw, then simmer that with the meat and enough water to make a thin broth. It should be light, as the name says, not a thick stew.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring the yam or plantain to the boil in a pan of water and cook for about 20–30 minutes, until soft.
- Blend the cooked vegetables (onions, tomatoes and peppers) to a fine broth.
- Add spices and fresh herbs to taste and mix well.
- Pound or knead the cooked yam or plantain in a large bowl until it is elastic and creamy.
- Pour the hot broth over the fufu and serve immediately.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Cassava, plantain and yam contain no gluten, and there is no dairy anywhere in the dish. Both halves are naturally suitable for either restriction.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
The soup as written has no meat and works well that way; mushrooms or smoked tofu add depth. Note that many Ghanaian soups include dried fish or crayfish powder as a matter of course, so ask when eating out. Fufu itself is vegan.
More tips and tricks
Pound the fufu while it is hot. Cooled starch will not become smooth however hard you work it. Keep a bowl of water beside you and wet the pestle and your hands. And make the soup properly thin: a thick light soup is a contradiction.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Goat is the classic meat and gives the best broth. Smoked fish added late is common. Garden eggs, the small West African aubergines, are blended into the soup in many households and thicken it slightly.
Ingredient substitutions
Fufu flour or instant fufu saves considerable labour. Sweet potato fufu is a modern variation. Semolina or plantain alone both work.
Drink pairing ideas
Sobolo, the hibiscus and ginger drink, is the Ghanaian standard. Palm wine in rural areas. Cold Star or Club lager works with the chilli.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve the fufu as a smooth ball in a wide bowl with the soup poured around it and the meat on top. Eat with the right hand: pinch, dip, swallow. A bowl of water for rinsing fingers goes on the table.
A bit of history
Pounded starch staples run across West Africa and the technique is old, predating cassava’s arrival from the Americas, when yam was the only base. Fufu travelled with the diaspora and versions exist across the Caribbean. It anchors Ghanaian cuisine alongside jollof rice, the subject of a long-running argument with Nigeria.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Fufu with Light Soup
Fufu is pounded cassava and plantain, served in a thin, peppery broth. Pound it hot, keep the soup light, and eat it with your right hand without chewing.
