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Fish, Africa and overseas

Kenkey with fried fish and shito sauce

Kenkey with fried fish is a Ghanaian dish made of fermented corn dumplings, fried fish, and spicy shito sauce. This recipe serves 4 and takes 1 hour to make, with medium difficulty, for about €2.70 per person. The key to success is letting the corn dough rest, which gives it its slightly tangy flavor before steaming.

Tonight, we're tasting Ghana with kenkey, good corn dumplings, fried fish, and a shito sauce with real kick.

Kenkey with fried fish and shito sauce
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.70
Calories per person
700 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

Kenkey is first and foremost a texture, a firm, slightly tangy corn dumpling steamed inside parchment paper. It contrasts with the crispness of freshly fried fish and the heat of shito sauce, made from tomato, onion, chili, and ginger simmered down together. The raw sliced onion added at the end brings the freshness this hearty dish would otherwise miss.

This is a dinner for switching things up completely on an evening when you have a bit of time ahead of you, more of a weekend project than a rushed Tuesday night. The dish needs your attention while the corn dough cooks, but nothing technical, just steady stirring. Count on it to surprise curious guests or simply pull your family out of the usual pasta and rice rotation.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Hake fillets 600 g

Pantry

  • Fine cornmealoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Flouroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 8 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Plain yogurt 1

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 2
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Chili pepper 1
  • Fresh ginger 1 tsp

Allergens Fish, Lactose, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the cornmeal with the yogurt and 25 cl of warm water, cover and let it rest to give it a slightly fermented flavor. 30 min

    This rest mimics the fermentation of Ghanaian corn dough, the mixture picks up a light tangy taste.

  2. Heat 50 cl of salted water, pour in the mixture and stir constantly over low heat until it thickens and pulls away from the pan. 12 min

    Stir with a whisk at first, then switch to a wooden spoon, the dough firms up quickly.

  3. Shape four large balls with wet hands, wrap them in parchment paper and steam them. 20 min

    Tie the parchment packets tightly with string, steam should not get in.

  4. Make the sauce by sautéing one chopped onion, the tomato, the chili, and the ginger in three tablespoons of oil. 12 min

    Let it reduce to a thick texture, shito sauce should be spreadable rather than runny.

  5. Salt the fish fillets, coat them in flour and fry them golden in the remaining oil, then serve with the kenkey, the sauce, and the raw sliced onion. 8 min

    Serve the raw onion on the side, it brings the freshness the fried fish needs.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use fine cornmeal, not coarse polenta, otherwise the kenkey stays grainy instead of smooth.
  • Wet your hands well before shaping the balls, the very firm dough sticks to dry hands and loses its round shape.
  • Taste the shito sauce before serving and adjust the chili, it should stay genuinely spicy without overpowering the fish.

The variations

  • Swap the hake for mackerel or tilapia, two fish traditionally used in this dish in Ghana.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the fish with floured and fried eggplant slices cooked the same way.
  • To save time, shape smaller balls, they steam through in 12 minutes instead of 20.

What to serve it with

  • Extra sliced raw onion
  • Cold water with lemon
  • Lime wedges

Storage

Kenkey and shito sauce keep 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, stored separately from the fried fish. Both the kenkey and the sauce freeze well, but fried fish loses its crispness once thawed. Reheat the kenkey by steaming, warm the sauce in a saucepan, and fry fresh fish rather than reheating leftover fried fish.

Questions about this dish

Can you use regular corn flour instead of cornmeal?

No, fine cornmeal gives kenkey its firm, slightly grainy texture. A finer corn flour would make the dough too smooth and sticky, closer to a porridge.

Can you make kenkey ahead of time?

Yes, you can shape the kenkey balls the day before and keep them in the fridge wrapped in their parchment paper. Steam them for 10 minutes before serving with freshly fried fish.

Is this dish very spicy?

The heat mostly depends on the chili you choose and how much you use, a single chili stays mild for most palates. Remove the seeds if you want a milder shito sauce.

Can you steam the kenkey balls without a steamer basket?

Yes, a metal colander set over a pot of simmering water and covered works well. What matters is that the wrapped balls never touch the water.

How long does it take to make a kenkey with fried fish and shito sauce?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a kenkey with fried fish and shito sauce?

About 700 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a kenkey with fried fish and shito sauce cost?

About €2.70 per serving, or €10.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, lactose, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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