Cameroonian
Vegan
Gluten freeRoasted safou
Safou: violet African plums roasted until soft, buttery and tangy, a Cameroonian rainy-season snack
When the rainy season brings fresh maize to Cameroon, the safou trees fruit at the same time, and roadside grills from Douala to Yaoundé sell the violet plums alongside charred corn cobs. A few minutes over embers turns the firm, sour flesh soft, buttery and slightly tangy, which is why safou is often called the African butter fruit. People peel back the skin with their teeth, scrape the pale green flesh off the stone and alternate bites with sweet corn or a chunk of boiled plantain. Look for fresh or frozen safou in African grocers. Chef's tip: a pinch of salt sprinkled on while the fruit is hot brings out its savoury, olive-like side.
- Prep
- 2 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 200 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb safou (African plums)also sold as African pear or bush butter; thawed if frozen
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 ¼ cups just-boiled water (optional)for the steeping method
- 2 roasted corn cobs (optional)to serve
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Rinse the 1 ⅛ lb safou (African plums) and pat them dry.
Step 2: Heat a grill, barbecue or heavy dry frying pan over a medium heat. Roast the fruit for 6–8 minutes, turning often, until the skins blister and dull from shiny violet to a matt grey-purple and the flesh gives when pressed. A fierce heat is the usual mistake: the skins burn while the flesh stays hard.
8 minStep 3: No grill? Put the fruit in a bowl, pour over the 4 ¼ cups just-boiled water and leave for 5–10 minutes until soft. Do not boil them: boiling turns the flesh mushy and bitter.
8 minStep 4: Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt while hot. To eat, split the skin, scrape the soft flesh off the stone and enjoy with the 2 roasted corn cobs.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does roasted safou take?
- About 12 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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