Ghana – Banku and Tilapia

by Marko Judia

Welcome to Ghana, deep within coastal areas where you will see with own eyes what is in the top picture, that is Banku and tilapia. This cuisine from Ghana is mostly prepared along the coastal areas where Tilapia are easily found. Banku is none other but a stiff porridge prepared with Corn flour mixed with Cassava flour.

In Ghana Tilapia market beats more when it comes to the most consumed fish, not only in Ghana but also worldwide taking it’s lead as a third from Canned Tuna and Salmon. Refer http://www.fao.org/in-action/globefish/fishery-information/resource-detail/en/c/338148/

1. Tuna that canned after being caught from sea.
2. Salmon is sold as ready prepared fish meat.
3. Tilapia as like Salmon it’s the most consumed in Africa. It is also found in Lakes and rivers

Preparation and Cooking Steps

We will walk through the process of preparing Banku and Tilapia as follows below;

• Prepare 1 kg of corn flour with 1/2 kg of cassava flour.
• Boil water about 3 cups of water or 1.5 liters.
• When starting to vapor, add corn and cassava flour, stir while mixing flour and water for about 6 minutes less until all flour is well cooked.
• Remove from cooker and serve it warm. (You may put in hotpot or package bags, while preparing Tilapia)

Tilapia will be prepared as follows;

• 1 Tilapia will be enough for our meal today.
• Soak it with warm water if it frozen, but in Ghana we normally take fresh ones.

• Descale it using knife or scales remover.
• Remove internal wastes.
• Wash it and make in clean plate.
• Pass through its body long straight lines for marinating.
• Grin the mix of garlic, cardamons, salt, lemon, ginger and curry powder, paste it over fish body for 10 minutes.

• Heat frying oil until ready, start to fry the fish for 7-10 minutes under moderate heat.
• You need to check it often after 4 first minutes so that it won’t burn.
• Remove the fish and set into oil filter to collect excess frying oil from fish.
• Using dry towel, dry excess oil and serve it over clean plate.
• Repeat the procedures if you have more than one fish.

Well done, here on our table we have the cuisine ready for meal, take some tomato soup aside with it, enjoy with family and friends.