3 Ghanaian Dishes You Can Make at Home

Food might not be one of your major reasons for travelling to Ghana but that doesn’t stop you from exploring the variety of delicious and exciting dishes available in the restaurants or even on the streets of Accra (we know that’s where you thought of going).

No, this is not about Nigerian or Ghanaian jollof, so don’t let the big picture fool you 🙂

There are so many amazing meals in Ghana that you can make all by yourself without having to travel to Ghana. We have taken the liberty to trim down this long list of Ghanaian “must try” dishes to just three, just for you:

#1. Shoko (Beef and spinach stew)

Shoko is a spicy, traditional Ghanaian dish dish full of greens and is usually cooked with beef.  It is loved mainly for its flavour and health benefits.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons cooking oil, divided
• 1 pound boneless beef stew meat, cubed
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
• 4 Serrano peppers, quartered lengthwise
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup beef stock
• 3/4 pound baby spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry the beef until brown and then transfer to a bowl.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and fry the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion begins to turn golden. Add the diced tomatoes and cook, stir until the tomatoes are not solid anymore.

Add the ginger, Serrano and green bell peppers and cook, stirring, for several minutes. Add beef stock and stir to mix. Return the beef to the pan and stir.

Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for several hours until the beef is almost falling apart. Add the spinach and continue cooking for about 10 minutes until the spinach is reduced. Season with salt and pepper.

#2. Akotonshi (stuffed crabs)

Akotonshi refers to a classic Ghanaian Stuffed Crab dish topped with bread crumbs.  

Ingridients:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
• 6 whole cloves
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 bell peppers, finely chopped
• 2 pinches paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, whole wheat
• 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh parsley
• 2 pounds crab meat

Directions:

Put crab meat in boiling salted water along with ginger piece and cloves. Cook about 15 minutes, until meat is tender enough to flake with a fork. Drain and set aside.

In a pot, heat oil to a moderate temperature and add onions, ground ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste, green pepper, paprika, cayenne, and dried shrimp. Stir for about one minute after adding each ingredient.

Reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stir until vegetables are cooked. Add crab meat and stir another couple of minutes. Spoon the mixture into clean crab shells or small individual baking dishes.

Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of each crab and toast under an oven broiler, be careful not to let the crumbs scorch. Garnish with egg and parsley

#3. Waakye (pronounced waachay)

Waakye is a delicious and nutritious dish made up of a combination of rice and beans.

It is usually served for breakfast or lunch with a sauce called shito. This sauce is black and very spicy hence the name ‘shito’, as this means ‘pepper’ in Ga, a native language in Ghana.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice
• 1 cup red beans or black-eyed peas, or any kind of beans or peas
• 4 dry sorghum leaves (or 1 teaspoon of baking soda)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Soak your preferred beans in water for 3 – 5 hours in the morning. Drain the beans and place them in a large pot of water, bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for about 20 minutes.

Wash your rice and add to the boiling beans and add more water. Allow the mixture to boil for about 30 minutes, adding water until the beans is tender enough. Add salt to taste.

Serve with a sauce of vegetable and fish or meat.

Not interested in making these meals yourself and would rather taste the real deal? We have fantastic packages to Ghana and you should check them out here.