How To Prepare Banku and Okro Stew The Ghanaian Way

How to Prepare Ghanaian Banku and Okro Stew.

The food fanatic once said, “One of the best things in life is how we have to stop doing everything we do and devote our attention to eating.”
If you need to pay him some attention, then a Ghanaian treat, a stew from Banku and Okro, is worth it.

Banku and Okro Stew are one such dishes Ghanaians can’t only do without.

Follow these easy steps to prepare Banku and Okro Stew.

Ingredients for the Banku

• 2 cups of corn mass
• 1 cup cassava paste
• One teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Okro Stew

• 2 cups chopped okra
• 1 pound of beef (or any meat of your choice)
• Two large ports
• Four medium tomatoes
• Kpakpo shito pepper, ginger, garlic
• Four herring fingers
• Cowhide (Wele)
• Palm oil
• One salted fish (momoni)
• Salt

How to Prepare a Banku

1. Mix cassava paste with water and cut into pieces (you can use them to add felt)
2. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and add the corn mixture to the mix.
3. Add some more water and stir until the mixture is smooth and slightly thick.
4.  Then add a teaspoon of salt to taste to the mixture
5.  Put the pan on high heat until the mixture begins to boil.
6. When it starts boiling, mix the dough with a spatula (Banku ‘ta’) and avoid lumps.
7.  Continue stirring the mixture until it is softer and thicker, and its color changes slightly.
   Note: To know if your Banku is ready, you can boil some cooked mixture in a little water. If it melts and becomes milky, your Banku is not prepared. You can try it to see if it is edible enough.
8. When the Banku is done, distribute it to the balls and wrap each ball in polyethylene rubber.
9. Keep them in an airtight container or a heated container. The banku can be kept for two or three days without deterioration, depending on its preservation.

How to prepare Okro stew

1. Wash minced meat and cowhide and place in a pan, add some water, and bring to a boil. Pour onion, ginger and garlic mixture and cook for about 10 minutes.
2.  Put the chopped round in another clean bowl, add a cup of water and simmer for about 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
3. Now, pour some palm oil into another pan. Briefly fry salted fish, then add slices of onion. Cook for about 3 minutes
4. Add mixed kpakpo shito (pepper), ginger and garlic and simmer for about 5 minutes.
5.  Wash and chop the tomatoes and add the sauce.
6. Wash herring and remove bones, add to sauce and simmer for about 8 minutes.
7. Now add the beef and cow steam, stir and let stand
   10 minutes.
8. In the end, put the cooked round and stir to mix well, reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes.
9. Add some salt to your favorite taste (be careful because momons are naturally salty. Be sure to try the sauce before adding more salt)

Your Banku and Okro dishes are now ready to eat. Serve in a beautiful bowl and serve with cold drinks.

Watch this videp for further tutorial on Banku preparation