Fakoye is a dish in sauce of Malian origin made from corète leaves that originates from northern Mali. This is a very typical Tuareg dish and is prepared with koret leaves (also known as molokhiyya, melokhiyya, or ewedu or jute mallow; the leaves of <em>Corchorus olitorius</em>) which are dried, crushed and then cooked. The rest of the recipe varies from one region (even from one family) to another, but this base remains the same. Fakoye is often prepared with mutton, and sweetened with clarified butter.
Prep time: 30 minutes/Cook time: 120 minutes/Serves: 4
Ingredients:
75g ground, dried, jute mallow leaves
50g smen (clarified butter/ghee)
1 tbsp vegetable stock cube made up to 500ml (2 cups) with boiling water
3 tomatoes
2 garden eggs (African aubergines)
250g beef braising steak
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
oil
1 tsp Soumbala (Nététou) [these are the fermented and smoked seeds of the African locust bean often found in balls]
2 bay leaves
2 habanero chillies
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Place a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot add the clarified butter and wait until it’s all melted. At this point take the pan off the heat.
Place the jute leaf powder in a heat-proof bowl and, stirring continually, pour in the melted clarified butter. Continue stirring until you have a smooth paste (this will take a few minutes).
Blanch the tomatoes, plunge in ice cold water then peel and finely dice. Cut the garden eggs into quarters.
Place a large saucepan or cast iron casserole (Dutch oven) over high heat. Once hot add a little oil and use to fry the beef for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Now add the onion, garlic, garden eggs and tomatoes. Stir to combine then season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Now add the jute leaf and butter mix as well as the vegetable stock, the soumbala and the bay leave and habaneros (leave whole for a milder effect, chop if you like it spicy).
Cover and continue cooking for 10 minutes before reducing the heat to medium. Continue simmering briskly for 90 minutes.
Serve hot, accompanied by plain white rice.
