Placali Served with Traditional Sauce!

Time Estimate:

⏱️ Preparation: 30 minutes
⏱️ Cooking: 1 hour

Ingredients 🛒

For the sauce:

• Kplos (dried meat) 🍖
• Snails 🐌
• Adjovan (fermented fish) 🐟
• 2 onions 🧅🧅
• 3 fresh tomatoes 🍅🍅🍅
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 🍅
• Chili peppers (to taste) 🌶️
• 100 ml red palm oil 🛢️
• Salt 🧂
• 1 cube of Aromate seasoning 🟡
• Crabs 🦀
• Smoked fish 🐟
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 🥄
• Kplala leaves (local greens) 🌿
• Okra 🥒

For the placali:

• Fermented cassava dough (available in African stores) 🍠
• Water 💧

Preparation 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

Sauce Preparation:

1️⃣ In a large pot, cook the kplos, snails, adjovan, sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, chili peppers, red palm oil, salt, and the Aromate seasoning cube. 🍖🐌🧅🍅🌶️🛢️🧂🟡

2️⃣ Once the mixture starts boiling, add the crabs and smoked fish. 🦀🐟

3️⃣ Let it simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Remove the vegetables, mash them into a purée, and return the purée to the pot to thicken the sauce and enhance the flavor. 🍅🧅

4️⃣ Allow the sauce to thicken over low heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasoning as needed. 🧂

Okra and Kplala Leaves Preparation:

1️⃣ Dissolve one teaspoon of baking soda in a bit of water. 🥄💧

2️⃣ Add chopped okra and diced kplala leaves to the solution. 🥒🌿

3️⃣ Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once the okra and leaves are tender, remove from heat and vigorously whisk with a ladle to achieve a smooth texture. 🥄

Combining the Sauces:

1️⃣ Mix the okra and kplala leaf preparation into the main sauce. Stir well to combine flavors.
2️⃣ Let simmer for a few more minutes and adjust seasoning if necessary. 🍲🧂

Placali Preparation:

1️⃣ In a pot, combine the fermented cassava dough with water to create a smooth consistency. 🍠💧

2️⃣ Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula, until the mixture thickens and becomes elastic. This takes about 15–20 minutes. 🍠🥄

3️⃣ Once ready, shape the placali into balls and keep warm. 🍠

Serving:

Serve the hot placali with the rich, aromatic traditional sauce. This authentic African dish is perfect for a flavorful and comforting meal. 🍽️

Enjoy! 😊✨

Have you tried this recipe? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below! 👇