Crunchy coconut biscuit bars
Walk past a school gate or a motor park in Kano, Kaduna or Jos and you will hear hawkers calling out gurundi, the hard coconut biscuit bars sold in little plastic bags. They are toasty, sweet and very crunchy, packed with coconut and a hint of nutmeg, and children buy them with pocket money to eat on the walk home. At home they go into lunch boxes or out with a cup of tea or a cold bottle of zobo. Fresh grated coconut is traditional; desiccated coconut makes it simple anywhere. Chef's tip: once the bars are golden, turn off the oven and leave them inside with the door ajar for 15 minutes to dry right through; taking them out too soon is the usual mistake, and they go soft by the next day.
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Cubes of tofu coated in seasoned cornflour and fried until crisp, then tossed quickly in a hot wok with sliced white onion, strips of red chilli, green chilli and garlic, and finished with plenty of spring onions. Spicy, crunchy and ready in minutes; serve straight away as a starter or with rice. Like most Thai dishes it is best cooked just before serving, as it doesn't reheat well.
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