Fufu Gnocchi by Tayo Ola

Préparation

This recipe has been provided courtesy of Jikoni Recipe Archive.

Making the Dough

Cut your potatoes into small cubes, bring to the boil in lightly salted water, and cook until they become soft. Drain and mash with butter and salt until they're smooth. Once the mashed potatoes are cool or lukewarm, add the egg yolks and mix them in thoroughly. Gradually add fufu flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. The dough should be easy to handle with your hands, not too sticky, and still a bit moist.

Shaping the Gnocchi

Lightly flour your work surface with fufu and roll a portion of the dough into a strip about 1 inch thick. Cut the strip into small pieces and toss them in a bit of fufu to prevent them from sticking together. Repeat with the remaining dough. Create an indentation in each gnocchi with your thumb and fold the gnocchi on itself while rolling it on the back of a fork to create a ribbed texture.

Cooking the Gnocchi

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add your gnocchi. Start a timer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the gnocchi start to float. Immediately drain them and keep to the side.

Making the EFO Sauce

Put all the vegetables (tomatoes, red bell pepper, Scotch bonnet pepper, ½ the onion, fresh thyme, and garlic) in a blender. Blend everything until you have a smooth and thick sauce. In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the palm oil on medium heat. Dice the remaining ½ onion and add with the tomato paste to the palm oil. Cook until the tomato paste turns dark red. Pour in the blended sauce, then add curry powder, Maggi cubes, and salt. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the bay leaf and the stock (if using), then let the sauce simmer on low to medium heat for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors and thicken slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Preparing the Spinach

In a separate pan over medium-high heat, cook the chopped spinach and garlic in the vegetable oil for 2 minutes. Gradually add the tomato stew into the pan and stir well to mix the spinach with the stew. Let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes until the greens are tender, and the flavors meld together. Adjust the seasoning if required. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool slightly, then blend it until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pan, cook on low heat, and add the gnocchi into the stew. Serve it, garnished with parmesan cheese. Enjoy your meal!