Hey guys! Tomorrow we are kicking off two weeks of clean eating recipes right here on the blog. I’m so excited to go on this journey with you! But before then, I’m wrapping up this Black History Month of February with this recipe for how to make fufu, specifically fufu corn also know as corn fufu. Nothing says West Africa like fufu! Also, many of you have requested for this recipe so I thought this will be the perfect time to share my fufu recipe with you guys.
So, today is all about how to make fufu! Or as said in local parlance, how to turn fufu. Who is ready to turn some fufu with me?
If you are not familiar with fufu, here is a little info for you. Fufu is a popular West African starchy side dish that is eaten with vegetables or soups like okra soup. Fufu can be made from a variety of starchy foods like cassava, yams, cocoyams or corn.
This recipe is all about how to make fufu with corn. Corn fufu is or fufu corn similar to polenta in the Western world in that they both use corn. However, while polenta is seasoned, corn fufu is made plain without any seasonings.
Fufu corn is like a hard porridge. When hot, it is soft and fluffy. When it cools down, it hardens up like a cake.
In Africa, corn fufu is cooked in different ways depending on what country you are from. This recipe is about how it is cooked in Cameroon. I have watched my Ugandan friend make the Ugandan version called, “Ugali” and it is made in a completely different way.
And here is one more thing: Corn Fufu or Fufu Corn is the traditional meal in Mr. N’s village. This means it is eaten there almost everyday with soups or vegetables.
I love fufu corn! My children enjoy it so much with this simple okra soup.
Oh and one final thing, I promise! Corn fufu is whole grain which is good but it is also very starchy so portion control is important while eating this.
Okay so let’s dive into our fufu corn recipe, shall we?
Watch how to make fufu:
Fufu Corn is a well-eaten starchy side for soups and vegetables in West Africa. This recipe shows you how to make the perfect Cameroonian corn fufu with the right texture and consistency. With this, even a novice can learn how to make fufu. Enjoy!
- 4 cups corn flour (500g or half kg)
- 8 cups water (2 liters)
Place 6 and a half cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil.
Place one cup of the corn flour in a bowl then add 1 cup of water to the flour and mix to form a smooth paste. Add another half cup of water and mix well to form a loose creamy mixture (with the consistency of liquid whole milk).
When water boils, carefully subtract 5 cups of the water, placing it in a hot water safe container. Then stir the remaining water in the pot with a wooden spoon while adding the corn flour mixture. Add in all of the mixture, while stirring continuously so as to avoid forming lumps. The mixture will thicken up as you stir. This mixture will form the base so we can easily mix in the rest of the flour without forming lumps.
Now add half of the flour and mix well to incorporate. Add the other half and mix well till well incorporated. The mixture will be harder at this point and it is a bit of a workout but you got this!
Once the flour is all mixed in, add half of the reserved hot water to the pot. Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. After that, open and mix the fufu with the water in circular motion until well incorporated. Add the remaining hot water then cover and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Cover and mix the fufu again with the hot water until well incorporated. Now let it cook for about 3 minutes and your corn fufu is done!
To wrap the corn fufu, cut a plastic wrap about the same length as your wrist to your arm. Place the plastic wrap over a small deep bowl then place about a spoon of the corn fufu onto the wrap. Gather all the sides of the wrap to cover the fufu then twist to wrap. Please watch the video to see how I do this.
Alternately, you could wrap your corn fufu in warn banana leaves or just place the whole thing in a nice bowl and serve it from there.
1. If you live out of Cameroon, corn flour may be hard to come by. A good replacement for this is semolina. With semolina, the cooking process remains the same.
2. I highly recommend you watch the video to fully understand how to make corn fufu.
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Hey Aunty Precious….. Thumbs up to the job u do here.
But Placing hot fufu in plastic wraps could be and is more dangerous to one’s health., for part of the plastic melts and later sticks on the fufu when it cools down. So far Banana leaves are the best.
In case of unavailability of Banana leaves, y not just serve the fufu in a breakable dish.
Thanks for sharing, Akwa!
This is an excellent tutorial. I’ve heard of fufu, but I had no idea how to make it. I can’t rate the recipe yet because I haven’t made it, but I appreciate the great instructions.
You are most welcome, Claudia.
My fiancee is from Nigeria and I am learning how to prepare some of the food from his homeland. This video was very helpful and I look forward to preparing it for him with his favorite Banga Soup!
Awww so glad to hear that, Felicia! Banga Soup sounds delicious! Thanks for your comment.
You’ve put together a very helpful tutorial–it gave me courage to try it myself! I happened to have flour ground from native-American blue corn on hand. The end result was purple fufu! My husband, who lived in Cameroon for two years in the 80s, was amused. I served it with groundnut stew made from your delicious recipe. I look forward to exploring more of your recipes–thank you!
Purple fufu sounds so fun! Thanks for the feedback, Jeanne. It makes me so happy.
HI Precious,
I have a exchange student from Camaroon staying with me and I am trying to find something to make him that he might like. Can you recommend a place to start? I was looking at your Stews. Not sure when I can purchase plantains?
Hi Aimee, so sweet of you to want to make something for you. You could start with some simple tomato stew and boiled rice. You can find the tomato stew recipe here: https://www.preciouscore.com/easy-chicken-stew/ Also, you could find plantains in Asian or African stores that’s if you have any around you. Are you in the United States? If so, sometimes you will find plantains at Walmart or Aldi. Hope this helps.
Good morning Precious, I have never eaten this before but I would love to try this especially because of my hubby who likes whole grain meals.How do you make the corn flour? Can I use yellow or white corn and take it to the local mill for it to be blended into a powdery consistency and do I have to wash the corn or maize seeds and sun dry it first before taking it to the mill? I think thebcorn flour would be cleaner if I do that. Thanks
Hi Auntie!! Loved the video! My boyfriends brother just got back from a 2 year mission from Africa and is already missing Fufu. I’m the only one who’s tried it before and your video was really helpful Ana I cant wait to start making it!
Quick question, did you leave the stove on high the entire time you mixed and cooked till the ending?
Love your videos. Quick question, after boiling the 8 cups of water and then reducing the water from the pot did you keep the heat on high the whole time you were mixing in the corn flour an cooking it?
Maybe this is a stupid question…. But is corn flour different from Maseca? You know, the stuff you buy to make corn tortillas? Could I use it for corn fufu as well?
No dear, it doesn’t work as well for corn fufu. Get cornmeal instead. The yellow cornmeal. The Goya brand which comes in packets is a good one. Hope this helps.
Oh my God! This looks so good. I would like to make this recipe with my daughter. My son might be challenging but he might be into it. I learned about Sophia from reading the book Home again by Yaa Gyasi. Perhaps I will go to a west African restaurant before I try this on my own. I love this book so much! There are so many things that he talks about from this region. I want to try them all Thank you for sharing this blog I can’t wait to watch more of your videos. I will now have to add Canyon to my bucket list I’m traveling destinations.
Oh my goodness the dictation is terrible I meant to say fufu.
I want to make fufu for a large group, is there any way to keep it warm that you suggest? Or is there a way I can make it a day ahead? Thank you!
Hi Sharon, it is best to make fufu on the day it is served. You could keep the wraps of fufu in a cooler to keep them warm. Hope this helps.