Fufu

Name: Fufu
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 700 g fresh cassava root, peeled and cut into 5 cm chunks (or 500 g pre-peeled frozen cassava chunks, thawed); 500 g semi-ripe plantains, about 3 large, peeled and cut into 5 cm chunks (yellow skin streaked with black gives the right balance of sweet and starchy); 1 tbsp fine sea salt for the cooking water; 2 litres cold water for boiling; About 150 ml hot cooking water reserved from the pot, kept warm in a jug; 1 tbsp neutral oil (palm or sunflower), for oiling hands and the serving bowl; 1 large pot of hot West African soup (600 ml–1 L of light soup, palmnut, groundnut, or egusi), for serving; Sliced fresh scotch bonnet chilli, for those who want extra heat; Roasted peanuts or crushed groundnuts, to scatter over the soup (optional)

Fufu is the staple starch of West Africa — a dense, elastic paste made by boiling and pounding cassava together with plantain. The traditional process involves a large wooden mortar and a long pestle: two people work together, one pounding rhythmically, the other turning the paste between strokes. The final texture must be compact, smooth, and slightly sticky. Fufu is never eaten alone — it accompanies traditional Ghanaian soups (egusi, groundnut, palmnut). A small piece is pinched off, shaped into a cup, and used to scoop up the soup without chewing. Fufu is festive and family food, and in Ghana, offering someone fufu is a sign of sincere hospitality.

Total time1h 10m

Active time30m

Servings4

DifficultyMedium

Cost$

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Traditional recipe

Authentic taste

Ingredients 4 servings

700 g fresh cassava root, peeled and cut into 5 cm chunks (or 500 g pre-peeled frozen cassava chunks, thawed)
500 g semi-ripe plantains, about 3 large, peeled and cut into 5 cm chunks (yellow skin streaked with black gives the right balance of sweet and starchy)
1 tbsp fine sea salt for the cooking water
2 litres cold water for boiling
About 150 ml hot cooking water reserved from the pot, kept warm in a jug
1 tbsp neutral oil (palm or sunflower), for oiling hands and the serving bowl
1 large pot of hot West African soup (600 ml–1 L of light soup, palmnut, groundnut, or egusi), for serving
Sliced fresh scotch bonnet chilli, for those who want extra heat
Roasted peanuts or crushed groundnuts, to scatter over the soup (optional)

How to make it

1Prepare the cassava; wash the cassava chunks under cold water to remove any clinging grit; with a paring knife slit the thick brown skin lengthwise, then peel it away (along with the pink underlayer) to expose the white core; cut out the fibrous central string from each piece and discard.
2In a heavy 5-litre pot, combine the peeled cassava chunks, the plantain chunks, the 1 tbsp salt, and the 2 litres cold water; bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and cook for 30–40 minutes, until both cassava and plantain are fork-tender — the cassava should feel like a cooked potato when pierced.
3Drain into a colander but reserve at least 250 ml of the hot cooking liquid in a jug for later; pick out and discard any visible fibres or strings.
4Pound the fufu; traditional method: transfer the hot cassava-plantain mixture in batches to a heavy wooden mortar lubricated with a few drops of oil; with a long wooden pestle, pound rhythmically while a second person (lightly oiled hands) turns and gathers the mass between strokes; work for 8–10 minutes per batch until the paste is dense, perfectly smooth, and noticeably elastic — no lumps remain.
5Mortar-free method: place the hot cassava and plantain together in a sturdy stand mixer with the dough-hook attachment; run at low speed for 1 minute to break down the chunks, then increase to medium and beat for 6–8 minutes, scraping the bowl every 2 minutes, until the mass forms a single elastic dough around the hook; add a tablespoon of reserved hot cooking water at a time if it is too dry — the goal is glossy and elastic without being wet.
6Test the texture; pinch off a small piece (about 50 g) and roll it in lightly oiled palms into a smooth ball; the surface should be glossy and seamless, and the ball should hold its shape on a plate without sagging or cracking; if it cracks, work in another spoonful of hot water; if it slumps, knead for another 2 minutes.
7Shape the serving portions with lightly oiled hands: form 4 large balls of about 250 g each (or 8 smaller balls for traditional individual servings); place each ball in a slightly oiled wide bowl so it does not stick; cover with a damp cloth until ready to serve — fufu hardens quickly when exposed to air.
8Serve immediately; ladle hot West African soup (light soup, palmnut, groundnut, or egusi) into a wide soup bowl around each fufu ball; eat by pinching off a small piece of fufu with the right hand, pressing a depression into it with the thumb to form a cup, and using it to scoop up the soup — do not chew the fufu, swallow it whole so the flavour of the soup carries it down; scatter chopped scotch bonnet and roasted peanuts to taste.