Genre: Recipe Books
Paperback: 407 pages

Description: The Congo Cookbook, the Internet's best African Recipes website, in a printed book.

Synopsis:

Hundreds of African recipes, as seen on the Congo Cookbook website, all for about 8 cents a page! (How much would it cost to print it on your own printer?)

Sample recipe:

Kuku Paka

Kuku Paka, a chicken-coconut curry, is a Swahili dish from the coast of Eastern Africa. It is also sometimes called an Ismaili dish, and it shows up on some Indian menus -- which all makes sense when one considers that the Swahili civilization itself is a mixture of influences from Africa, Arabia, and India. Etymologically, Kuku Paka is a partial mystery. The African origins of Kuku Paka are clearly seen in the word kuku, which means chicken in Kiswahili (the Swahili language) and other African languages. But the paka part is unclear. It's notable that nazi (the Swahili word for coconut) is not used in the name of this dish, as it is in other Swahili dishes. One writer states that paka is the Punjabi word for delicious, making kuku paka simply delicious chicken. Paka is also the Swahili for cat, and it is related to Indian words for the verb "to cook" and "pure"; probably just a coincidence. Gastronomically, there's no mystery at all: it's delicious chicken.

What you need

• two or three spoonfuls cooking oil or butter
• one onion, finely chopped
• two sweet green peppers (bell peppers), chopped
• one clove fresh garlic, minced
• one-half teaspoon ground ginger
• one teaspoon curry powder (or a similar amount of a combination of ground cayenne pepper or red pepper, cumin, coriander, and turmeric)
• a few whole cloves
• one teaspoon salt
• one chicken, cut into small serving-sized pieces
• one cup water
• four (or more) potatoes, cleaned and cut into quarters
• three ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
• two cups coconut milk
• fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
• one tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

What you do

• Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Over high heat fry the onions and green peppers for a few minutes, stirring constantly Stir in the minced garlic and fry for a minute longer. Add the spices and salt and mix well.
• Add the chicken to the pot. (Add another spoonful of oil if necessary to keep chicken from sticking.) Brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Add the water to the pot and bring to a slow boil. Add the potatoes and cook them until they begin to become tender. Return the chicken to the pot and continue to cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the chicken and potatoes are done.
• Stir in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes more. Then add the coconut milk, reduce heat, and gently stir and simmer until sauce is thickened. Stir in the lemon juicec. Garnish with the fresh coriander leaves or parsley immediately before serving.
• Serve Kuku Paka with Chapati or Rice.
• Drink Cardamom Tea or Chai with the meal or afterwards.

Product Details:

· Paperback: 407 pages
· Binding: Wire-O
· Publisher: Ed Gibbon (December 2005)
· Product Number: 30725960