Cofnchaff is traditional Cameroonian recipe for a classic one-pot dish of maize and beans cooked with crayfish powder, smoked fish and red oil in a lightly-spiced base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cameroonian version of: Cofnchaff.
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This is a Cameroonian version of rice and beans, here made with smoked fish though it can also include finely chopped meat in some recipes.
Ingredients:
500g dried beans (eg cowpeas, black-eyed beans, black beans, Red kidney Beans (or 600g of tinned beans)
380g dried Corn or 450g of cooked sweetcorn
3 tbsp ground crayfish
½ tsp ground White pepper
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Seasoning powder
1 tsp ground Black pepper
½ Onion, diced
1 Celery stick, chopped
500ml red Palm oil
1 tbsp hot chilli, minced
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
handful smoked fish, washed and broken into pieces
750ml–1l Water (add more if needed)
Fresh parsley, to garnish
Method:
If using dried beans and/or corn soak them over-night in separate bowls of water.
Drain the soaked beans then cook them in a pressure cooker or instant pot for about 7 minutes, or until tender. If using a saucepan this could take up to an hour to cook. Boil the maize until tender. If using tinned sweetcorn simply rinse with water.
Add 500ml water to a pan over medium heat. Stir in the ground crayfish, seasoning powder, onion, white pepper, black pepper and chilli along with the ginger and garlic blend.
Cook for 3 minutes then add in the pre-cooked maize and beans. Stir to combine, cover the pan and let it boil for 4–5 minutes.
Now pour in the red palm oil, and add the smoked fish. Stir to combine, re-cover with the lid and continue cooking for 5 minutes more.
At the end of this time remove the lid and stir the mixture until thick. Turn into a warmed serving dish, garnish with the parsley and serve.
