In Togo, corn is everything, ever. Sometimes it is served as porridge. And sometimes it’s served as Djenkoume, a.k.a. cornmeal cakes, a.k.a. edible sand castles. Djenkoume is a cornmeal, tomato, and red palm oil corn cake, rather like polenta. But there’s so much more about the dish… there’s onion, garlic, and ginger in the mix. And a mound of homemade, spiced tomato sauce.
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In Togo, corn is everything, ever. Sometimes it is served as porridge. And sometimes it’s served as Djenkoume, a.k.a. cornmeal cakes, a.k.a. edible sand castles. Djenkoume is a cornmeal, tomato, and red palm oil corn cake, rather like polenta. But there’s so much more about the dish… there’s onion, garlic, and ginger in the mix. And a mound of homemade, spiced tomato sauce.
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Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic , crushed
- 1 tsp grated ginger , fresh
- 1 medium onions , minced
- 2 Tbsp red palm oil , or other oil
- 15 ounce tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- salt
- pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth -OR-
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups cornmeal
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
- Cook the garlic, ginger, and onion in oil until softened.
- Add on the tomatoes and tomato paste and gently simmer the mixture until a thick sauce forms, about 15 minutes.
- Remove 1 cup and set aside for serving.
- Pour on the chicken stock to the remaining tomatoes and whisk in the cornmeal, being sure to add it in a smooth stream.
- Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Spoon into oiled ramekins or bowls and press smooth.
- Unmold onto each plate and serve with the reserved sauce
Recipe Notes
Served with Grilled Togo Chicken.
This holds up stiffer if you let the mixture cool a few minutes before attempting… you’ll notice it thickening.