There are a few banana plants in our backyard and every time we harvest a bunch (every time it is a different variety like gonja, bogoya, matooke and the kind that make juice — thanks to my parents) I learn something new about bananas in general. We had the privilege of harvesting plantain and I was inspired to write a blog post about it. Read the previous post. Then a crazy idea hit. What if we made plantain donuts? The plantain itself is already sweet and thus naturally sweetens the donuts.
In other totally unrelated news, we picked butiko A.K.A termite mushrooms last week. If you are unfamiliar, I wrote about them way back in 2014 here and made a pizza with them. Abundance (and probably a little too much) of rain came with a lot of benefits. The most exciting of them though, for me, was the growth of mushrooms in our front yard. We weren’t even aware until we saw people gathering over. Mothers, grandchildren, aunties, nieces and nephews were all gathered to collect these delicate mushrooms. The whole community knew. I learnt, from floating conversations, that these kind of mushrooms are quite pricey (two spoons for around 5000 shillings!); these mushrooms are medicinal (for what, I am yet to know); and that these mushrooms can actually be eaten raw. I did eventually try then raw and they are surprisingly packed with sharp flavour that is part nutty, mostly earthy and slightly salty. I am dreaming of making a raw butiko salad when they again grace us with their presence which will probably be next year. Nonetheless, it was an exciting experience.
Back to the donuts: These donuts are so easy to put together (I feel like I say this about almost every recipe but that is only because it is true) and create a mildly sweet soft and chewy taste that is plantain flavoured. They are quite a treat. Try them.
What you will need:
5 Ripe plantains
1 C. Flour
½ Tsp. Vanilla
¼ C. Milk
½ Tsp. Allspice
½ Tsp. Baking powder
Desiccated Coconut
Method
Mash the bananas. Add milk, vanilla and all spice. Mix well. Mix the baking powder with the flour. Gradually add flour till a firm dough forms. Spread out the dough with your hands till you have an inch of even thickness. Using a cookie cutter or any object that can cut shapes, cut out the dough and using a smaller object (think bottle cover) cut out the donut holes. Fry till golden brown. Sprinkle with coconut flakes. For the syrup, add 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a clean pan. Put on fire and let it boil. Remove from fire and let the syrup cool. Dip the donuts in the syrup and sprinkle with desiccated coconut.
Next time you have more than enough plantain, try these donuts and let me know how they turn out.
Loaded pineapple pizza with sorghum crust and a finishing of Edam and Colby cheeses.
I have been on a bushera kick lately mostly because I have found out there is the chilled packaged version which is so refreshing in this endless heat. I especially love the sour and slightly sweet taste that it has and was surprised to find out, from a friend I was talking to, that traditionally bushera is sweetened with sorghum. So much to learn.
I have been experimenting with bread a lot lately. Some have come out amazing and some still need to be worked on. But one thing I have found quite exciting to work with is sorghum. In fact, this whole pizza idea started with sorghum bread. Growing up, I fed on a lot of sorghum, so I’ve been told. My parents pride themselves in always telling me that sorghum brought me up. And now that I am old enough to actually tell the difference from millet and the nutritional value it has, making pizza was just perfect: Combining something nutritious with something widely loved.
So here is the breakdown of this pizza. First off, a soft sorghum pizza dough with a crunchy bottom; home-made tomato/pasta/pizza sauce that is irresistible; crunchy green pepper, mushrooms, onions, sweet and slightly tangy pineapple bits. And what is pizza without cheese? Finish off with Edam and Colby. With friends over at Paramount Dairies, I bring you this pizza with these two special hard cheeses. And the best part is that you do not have to have an oven to make this one. Keep scrolling to see video.
Observations
The milk has to be warm so the yeast can rise.
Using milk will soften the dough since sorghum alone hardens the bread
Keep half a cup of warm milk near in case the dough needs more liquid.
Use a ripe pineapple for topping to add a slightly tangy and sweet taste
You can use any sauce you desire although I used the same sauce I made for the cheesy meatballs because it adds richness to the pizza.
Grate a generous amount of cheese on your pizza
What you will need:
Pizza Dough
1 C. Sorghum Flour
3 C. Baking flour
½ C. Warm milk
¼ C. Oil
¼ C. Sugar
1 Tsp. Salt
2 ½ Tsp. Yeast
Sauce
20 Tomatoes
3 Medium onions, finely chopped
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon coriander
½ Tsp. cinnamon
1 C. Tomato sauce/ketchup
4 Tbsp. Grated Colby
1/8 C. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Cooking oil
1 Tsp. Mild Chilli oil (optional)
Salt
Pizza Toppings
2 C. Pineapple, finely cubed
3 C. Homemade sauce
2 C. Mushrooms, boiled/sautéed
Paramount Edam and Colby cheese
1 ½ C. Green pepper, thinly sliced
1 C. Onions, finely sliced
Parsley and or coriander for garnish (optional)
Method
Pizza Dough
In a bowl, add milk and sugar and stir till the sugar is dissolved. Add yeast and stir well. Cover the bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, sift the baking (wheat) and sorghum flours and mix well with hands or a fork. Add in salt and mix. Once the yeast has risen (turned frothy), add in the oil and mix with a fork. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and mix till non sticky dough is formed. Cover dough in the bowl with a damp towel/cloth and set aside in a fairly warm place. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
Once the dough has risen, punch it so it goes back to its original size. On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 10 seconds. After kneading, divide the dough into 4 equal parts. On a floured surface, still, roll out each piece of dough to at most the thickness of half an inch. Let the pizza dough rise for another 15-20 minutes.
On a stove with medium heat, place a pan (preferably non-stick) and cover it so it can get hot. Place the first pizza dough into the pan and cover and let it slowly bake for around 6-8 minutes. Flip it and let the other side bake for the same time too. Remove from fire and repeat the process till all the pizza dough is done.
Sauce
Wash the tomatoes and then peel them. Cut into quarters then set aside. Put a saucepan on medium heat and add the oil. Let it get hot then add the garlic. Wait for the garlic to slightly turn brown then add the onions. Stir well. After two minutes, add the quartered tomatoes. And stir them well. Add chili oil. Cover the pan and let the tomatoes cook. After about 5 minutes, remove the lid and stir the tomatoes. Add the coriander and salt. Stir then cover again and let the tomatoes simmer in their juices. After about two minutes, when the tomatoes are starting to soften, use the flat back of a wooden spoon or the bottom side of a plastic cup (feel free to improvise. Anything that can mash the tomatoes will work.) to mash them while stirring occasionally. When all the tomatoes are mashed and a thick-like soup consistency is formed, add the ketchup/tomato sauce, cinnamon and sugar. Stir well and place the lid back on. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the grated Colby and stir well. Remove from fire.
Assembling
Spread enough sauce on the pizza dough. Add green pepper then mushrooms. Add onions and pineapple. Grate Edam onto the pizza. Add a generous amount of Colby. On a stove with medium heat, place the pan used to bake the dough. Cover it so it can get hot. Place the first pizza into the pan and cover and let it slowly bake for another 6-8 minutes. Pour a tablespoon of water in the middle of the pizza to add moisture so the cheese can easily melt and the pizza can retain moisture. Remove from fire and repeat the process till all the 4 pizzas are done. Garnish with Parsley and or coriander. Serve hot.
Have you tried bushera? What other ways do you prepare and eat sorghum? Leave a comment below.
We are all getting into the Easter mood which is just a few days from now. Of all the food to be served, I thought it would be great to highlight desserts we’ve made throughout the years. I hope you get to make some for your loved ones.
In other totally unrelated news, we picked butiko A.K.A termite mushrooms last week. If you are unfamiliar, I wrote about them way back in 2014 here and made a pizza with them. Abundance (and probably a little too much) of rain came with a lot of benefits. The most exciting of them though, for me, was the growth of mushrooms in our front yard. We weren’t even aware until we saw people gathering over. Mothers, grandchildren, aunties, nieces and nephews were all gathered to collect these delicate mushrooms. The whole community knew. I learnt, from floating conversations, that these kind of mushrooms are quite pricey (two spoons for around 5000 shillings!); these mushrooms are medicinal (for what, I am yet to know); and that these mushrooms can actually be eaten raw. I did eventually try then raw and they are surprisingly packed with sharp flavour that is part nutty, mostly earthy and slightly salty. I am dreaming of making a raw butiko salad when they again grace us with their presence which will probably be next year. Nonetheless, it was an exciting experience.
A Kitchen In Uganda 