Fungee
Instructions:
This cornmeal ‘‘bread’’ is usually made into balls. It is served hot as an accompaniment
to stews and soups, fried or stewed fish, or any eggplant dish.
Leftover fungee is pressed into a loaf pan and either lightly toasted or eaten cold
for breakfast, usually spread with mango or other tropical fruit jam. The name
derives from West Africa, where funge is a stiff staple porridge.
3 cups water
salt to taste
3 okras, cut into 1⁄2-inch rings
2 cups cornmeal
4 TBS butter
- Bring water and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add okras, and cook until done, for about 15–20 minutes.
- Take out 2 cups of water from the pan (leave okra in the water). Reduce heat.
- Dribble in cornmeal to the remaining simmering water. Stir with a whisk to avoid forming lumps.
- Add a bit more water if necessary, but the mixture should be very thick.
- When mixture comes away from the bottom of the pan, turn off heat. Turn out fungee into a bowl and stir in butter, mixing well.
- Using a soup spoon, form into balls. Keep hot and serve immediately.
- (Alternatively, butter a loaf pan and pour in fungee. Level the surface. When cool, cut into thick slices and serve as bread.)