My Attieke Recipe
On this “Cooking with Aicha,” we are going to be making West African Attieke, Fish & Sweet Plaintain. Attieke is ground cassava that’s similar to couscous, but smaller. It’s a really good base for fish, meat, and chicken. We usually pair the meal with a salad and other sides like plantains. This is one of my favorite simple dishes from back home that isn’t rice and stew. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
The basic ingredients for this attieke dish are:
- Red Snapper
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Plantain
- Red Bell Pepper
- Tomatoes
- Lemon
- Vinegar
- Mustard
- Onions
- Oil
- Cucumber
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Jumbo/Maggi Cubes – Optional
- Attieke (You can buy frozen or boxed)
PREP AND STEPS
The Fish
Marinade
- Clean your fish of scales and fins unless you get it cleaned at the store.
- Make two or three cuts along each side of the fish.
- Blend garlic, cilantro, and parsley and transfer to a bowl.
- Add vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Maggi and mix.
- Season and stuff the fish with the marinade.
- Oil your pan and fry the fish until crispy on the outside.
The Plantains
- When buying plantains, look for the darker colors for a sweeter flavor. You want them to be soft but how soft depends on you. Some people like them just ripe while others like them mushy.
- Oil your pan so it gets hot while you prep.
- Peel and slice your plantains and put them in a bowl. There are so many shapes you can cut your plantains, there’s no mistakes!
- Add a little salt.
- When your oil is hot, fry the plantains little by little. Try not to overcrowd the pan.
- Prepare a plate with a napkin on it. Once the plantains develop their color, place them on the napkin to soak up the oil.
The Attieke
Like I said in the ingredients, you can find attieke frozen or boxed. It’s fine to use whichever is available. If you’re using the frozen kind, you’re just going to heat it in your microwave until it starts to crumble, checking on it regularly. For the boxed attieke, the instructions are on the packaging. Usually, you measure the amount of attieke you want and add water then microwave it, also checking on it regularly. For reference, 1 cup of attieke = 1 cup of water.
Onion sauce
- Slice onion and red pepper then crush garlic and add to a bowl.
- Add mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Maggi.
- Lightly oil a hot pan and sautée the sauce until it’s cooked.
Cucumber Salad
- Dice cucumber, tomatoes, and onions and combine them in a bowl.
- Add oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Maggi.
- Mix the ingredients together and check for taste.
- Add seasonings as needed.
Serve Your Attieke and Enjoy!
Check out some of my other Cooking with Aicha Recipes, like Peanut Butter Stew and Shawarma, or follow along my Youtube Channel!
