🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cuisine

Tuo Zaafi

Corn Dough with Ayoyo Soup

Prep Time 45 min
Servings 4
Difficulty Medium
Calories 360 kcal

A firm, smooth mound of corn dough served with a slippery, mucilaginous ayoyo (jute leaf) soup — the staple comfort food of northern Ghana.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Make a thin slurry with 1 cup corn flour and 1 cup water. Boil remaining water and pour slurry in, stirring.
  2. 2 Gradually add remaining corn flour, stirring vigorously with a wooden stick until very thick and smooth.
  3. 3 Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Mould into balls using a wet bowl.
  4. 4 For soup: wash ayoyo leaves. Boil with onion, tomatoes, dawadawa, and pepper for 15 minutes.
  5. 5 Season with salt. The soup should be slippery. Serve TZ in a bowl with ayoyo soup poured over.

Did You Know?

Eating TZ requires a specific hand technique — pinch, dip, and swallow without chewing. It takes practice to master.