Fufu Recipe
Comfort food fufu is a staple of West African cuisine that accompanies stews and soups for a complete, delicious, and filling meal. Traditionally made from cassava root and green plantains, this smooth, dense, soul-satisfying, and mild-flavored side dish turns almost any dinner into finger food.
Delicious and filling fufu is a blank canvas for creating a scrumptious masterpiece. The perfect vehicle for soaking up the flavor of whatever you choose to dip it in. And this side dish gives new meaning to finger-licking good.
I ate this almost every day while I was growing up. And its simplicity makes it an unintimidating venture into African cuisine. The flavor is very mild, which gives you the green light to pack extra flavor into whatever soup or stew you serve your fufu with. Did I mention it’s gluten-free?
Fufu, a Swallow Food
This starchy side, pounded into submission, is the perfect companion for traditional African stews and soups. And you don’t worry about feeling hungry after eating because it’s satiating in a way most sides aren’t. No matter what mouthwatering dish you serve, fufu will soak up the flavors and have you reaching for it until your plate is empty.
How to Make Fufu
- Peel, soak, and boil the cassava (yuca) roots and plantains.
- For the easy way, puree the cooked cassava and plantains in a food processor, and mix well.
- For the traditional way, get out your huge mortar and pestle, then pound the cassava, set it aside, and pound the plantain.
- Combine the pounded dough and form it into serving-sized balls. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Twists
- Some people like their fufu fermented. Aging certain foods gives them a slightly different flavor profile and increases the nutritional benefits. Just chop the cassava root up into chunks and leave it in a bowl of water for 3-5 days for a more pronounced, sour taste.
- Feel free to use just the cassava root or the plantains. Follow the same instructions, doubling the ingredient of choice.
- If your fufu isn’t thick enough, you can cook the mixture in a pot on medium heat while constantly stirring until you get the desired consistency.
- If you’re not against plastic wrap, it can help form the fufu into a ball by wrapping a serving-sized portion of dough and twisting it until you get the shape you want.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
If you want to enjoy this even during a busy weeknight, you can make it ahead of time. Prepare a large batch of fufu and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It will stay good in the fridge for about four days.
You could also boil the cassava and plantain ahead, reheat, and blend them when you are ready for some fufu. Reheat leftovers in the microwave with a touch of water in 10-second blasts until warm.
What to Enjoy With Fufu
Traditionally, people take a small piece of it, dip it in soup, and swallow it whole without chewing. Ogbono, beef, goat, fish, and groundnut soups are classic. You can place the ball of fufu in the middle of your bowl and pour the soup over it or serve it on the side.
More Comforting African Recipes to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in May 2022 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Fufu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium cassava tuber
- 2 fingers green plantain
- water (enough to just cover the cassava and plantain)
- 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
With a Food Processor
- Peel and slice the cassava and plantain with a knife into medium-size pieces, take out the cassava's core and the plantain's tiny seeds, and rinse.
- Place the pieces in a saucepan, cover with water, add optional salt, and cook over medium heat. (Cooking is vital for cassava because it is toxic raw.)
- Boil for 30 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the water.
- Add the cooked plantain and cassava to a food processor and blend. Use a spoon to move it around as necessary to ensure even blending. Add water by the spoonful as needed until you achieve desired texture. It should be soft and stretchy.
- Turn it onto a wet plate or bowl and fold it into itself until it is smooth.
Traditional Method
- Using a mortar and pestle, start by pounding the plantain into a smooth dough and set it aside. Then do the same for the cooked cassava.
- Combine the plantain and the cassava.
- Mold the mixture into the portion size of your choice and place it in serving bowls.
- The fufu is ready to serve with the soup of your choice.
Tips & Notes:
- Please cook cassava (yuca) well before mashing. Raw cassava contains toxins that can make you sick
- Before serving, stir the fufu around to check for any lumps. If you have lumps, you can pinch them out with your hand
- If your fufu doesn’t have the right texture or consistency, you can cook the mixture in a pot on medium heat while constantly stirring until you get the desired results
- To get your fufu into a perfect ball shape, get your hand wet, fold the mixture into itself, and flip it over to reveal the smooth side before serving
- You can also use plastic wrap to form the fufu into a circle by wrapping it and twisting it until you get the shape you want.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Hi, I want to try this recipe. What do you mean when you say 2 finger plantain?
Hi, Toni. It’s a slice of plantain the width of two fingers. Hope that helps.
These are so buns
lol crybaby
This recipe did not turn out for me. I was shocked to find out that cassava contains cyanide until properly cooked. The boiling water should be discarded, fyi. This information would be helpful to include so nobody is accidentally poisoned.
Thank you for your feedback! You’re absolutely right—cassava contains naturally occurring cyanide and must be properly cooked. You can also make fufu without cassava—plantains, yams, or cocoyams are excellent alternatives.
i have been watching nigerian skits as am a UGANDAN
But their reaction to fufu,shawarma, jollof rice and chicKen blows my mind always.
but finally today i had to make research about fufu because i feel attracted to it,
and trust me i will try making it because your procedure are all detailed.
And also you bear the name of my little sister anyway , i will have to remember the site easily
Looking forward to you trying out this recipe :)! Do let me know how it turns out for you. Say hi to your sister :)!
AMAZING^^ i had to make an african food for a school project, and im doing this and peanut soup, thank you it seems awesome!
Awesome!!! Can’t wait to know how it turns out for you. Once try must share with me.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I love it.
Glad you do. Its the quintessential African accompaniment to many meals
Great recipe, and so easy to follow. Thanks
Thank you. So glad you tried it out! It tastes yummy too!
I love this fufu. Will try it.
Yeah… You just made my day.
In my country Cameroon, if you’re from the North West Region you must have eaten fufu as many times as possible. Some people believe that’s what makes them so strong and it has become a staple meal that people eat to get strong. Thank you Imma for bringing back those memories live to me with this recipe.
Ahh you are so welcome
Looks amazing recipe, I never tried it yet but I am going to try this magic:)
Please let me know how it turns out!
I tried this this past weekend and it was a hit. Cant thank you enoughm i could never get thr consistency right before.
So happy you did.. Awesome