🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cuisine

Kenkey

Fermented Corn Dough

Prep Time 3 days (fermentation)
Servings 6
Difficulty Hard
Calories 274 kcal

A tangy, fermented corn dough wrapped in corn husks and steamed until firm, with a distinctive sour flavour that pairs perfectly with fried fish and pepper sauce.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Mix ground corn with water to form a smooth dough. Cover and ferment for 2-3 days at room temperature.
  2. 2 Divide fermented dough in half. Cook one half in a pot with water, stirring until thick (this is the aflata).
  3. 3 Mix the cooked portion back into the raw fermented dough thoroughly.
  4. 4 Wrap portions in corn husks, tying securely.
  5. 5 Steam wrapped kenkey for 1-2 hours until firm. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Did You Know?

There are two main types — Ga kenkey (wrapped in corn husks) and Fante kenkey (wrapped in banana leaves) — and the rivalry between fans is fierce.