Despite being from a tropical country, Ghanaian foods, with their rich soups and stews filled with chili and garlic, make ideal winter warmers if you live in colder climates. Here are some of the best Ghanaian foods to enjoy this winter.
Kelewele
The ginger and chili that flavor these small marinated plantain pieces are an instant body warmer, revving you up while adding a touch of sweetness to the ripened plantain, which is essential. Excellent with a side of peanuts to balance the spices and add a layer of nutty creaminess.
Mpoto mpoto
Mpoto mpoto is a one-pot dish made with sweet yams that are thrown into a pot with stock, vegetables, and meat or fish of your choice to make a wonderful Ghanaian-style casserole that is full of different flavors.
Groundnut soup
This rich, hearty, and protein-packed soup, one of the best winter warmers, gets its creaminess from organic peanuts ground and stirred into the garlic-tomato base. To taste, add meat or fish, or an egg or vegetables if you’re a vegetarian. It can be served with rice or, if available, a sticky fufu dumpling.
Light soup
A sweet, basic tomato soup that is fantastic with its full onion and garlic flavors and can also be eaten with submerged rice or fufu. It’s the Ghanaian equivalent of chicken soup, and it’s a go-to on cold nights when you’re feeling a little sniffly or have flu symptoms.
Jollof Rice
Jollof can be eaten anytime and anywhere, but nothing beats a steaming bowl of tomato and garlic marinated rice, which can be made with fish, and meat, or loaded up with veggies – carrots, and peas go especially well.
Kaklo
Overripe plantain is the order of the day, and the skins should be blackened and soft for this dish. It is made by mashing plantains, mixing them with flour and spices, and then frying them to make a delightful and tasty sweet-and-spicy plantain doughnut, similar to a dumpling. For a quick veggie snack, pair it with Bambara beans.
Kotonmire stew
A super healthy and warming stew with a variety of accompaniments. This vitamin-rich stew, made with leafy green vegetables such as spinach or coco yam leaves, should be eaten piping hot and can be combined with boiled plantain, yams, and rice. As a side, you can choose between meat, fish, or eggs.
