Fufu is a staple meal found in many African countries including West Africa and Central Africa. It is made by stirring, pounding, or kneading starchy vegetables like cassava or wheat, till it forms a dough-like consistency. It can also be made from maize meal, cornflour, and even grounded oats. Fufu is primarily eaten with African soups for a satisfying, balanced meal. It can be easily preserved in the refrigerator, and it stays fresh for two to three days. If you need to store it, let it cool down completely to room temperature, then wrap it in cling wrap and place it in the fridge. When it comes to reheating fufu there are several ways you can warm up your fufu, but the major methods are using a microwave and a stove. Below is a list of some of the popular ways you can reheat fufu.
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Microwave Method To Reheat Fufu
The microwave method is one of the best ways to reheat fufu. What you need to do is simple. Follow these steps. Ensure that your microwave is clean and that your fufu has not been in the refrigerator for too long.
- Take the cooked fufu and remove the plastic wrap,
- Place the cooked fufu inside a microwave safe dish and add about 3 tablespoons of water to it,
- Cover the dish with wet paper clothes or towels that way you can protect the cooked fufu from drying out.
- Microwave the cooked fufu for about 30 seconds or so and use a spoon to turn it around. You can always increase the heat in your microwave if you are not satisfied with the temperature.
- If your fufu is not warm enough repeat the process.
- When ready you can take it out of the oven and leave it to cool. Your fufu should be ready to serve.
Apart from heating fufu in a microwave you can even prepare it from scratch in a microwave. You simply measure out the fufu into a microwave safe bowl, pour in the desired number of cups of water and drain any excess. You can pour in more water, stir cover the bowl lightly and put in the microwave. Immediately the fufu will soak up the liquid quickly. Increase your microwave heat on high for about 5 minutes. Afterwards, open the lid and stir like you would on the stove top. Your fufu should be ready with any soup of your choice. You can either serve immediately or wrap in saran wrap and put in a warmer or refrigerator for later.
Stove Method
The stove method is a traditional way of heating up your fufu and it is another effective way. Back then this method was applied when most of our grandparents prepared food on fire. Nowadays the same method still applies whether you are cooling on fire on a gas stove or on an electric stove. warming up fufu is on the stove. To heat up your fufu on the stove simply follow these instructions
- Take your leftover Fufu and cut it into small chunks and put it in a pot, (Cutting into chunks is optional, it depends with the kind of fufu you are heating)
- Add some water in the pot, not too much just enough to steam your fufu,
- Cover your pot and bring it to boil,
- As soon as your leftover fufu has boiled you can mix your fufu with a wooden spoon,
- Allow your fufu to simmer for about 5 minutes or so and it should be ready to serve thereafter.
Alternatively, you can bring your water to boil in a pot first and then add your fufu, into the pot to heat up.
The Steaming Method To Reheat Fufu
Another method to reheat fufu is the steaming method. However, steaming may be effective and easier but it is a rather long process.
Follow these steps to heat your fufu with a steamer
- Fill your pot with water and place the steamer insert on top of it. Make sure it doesn’t come in contact with the water. Ensure that you do not boil your fufu but steam it instead.
- Place your fufu inside the steamer and arrange and make sure it doesn’t touch the water,
- Cover your pot, and wait for the water to boil. When it reaches the boiling point, it should only a minimum of 15 minutes for your fufu to warm up. You can leave the fufu longer if it is not warm enough. Afterwards you can take out your fufu from the steamer. Your fufu should be ready to serve.
The Thawing Method
The best way to store cooked fufu is in the refrigerator because it really preserves it for some time. You can then let it thaw after taking it out of the refrigerator and have it with your favourite soup. However, this method will not heat up your leftover fufu, since you simply let it thaw after removing it from the fridge. Many people prefer this method because it is quick and convenient. It is important to note that some people enjoy their cooked fufu hot and others while cold so you can always choose how you would love to have yours.
Keep in mind that there are different types of fufu, and different ingredients that are used to make it. Also, Fufu is made in different ways depending on whether you use a starchy root vegetable or flour. It can be made from a vegetable like yam, cassava, or plantain. Fufu can also be made from maize meal or flour. Also, fufu goes by different names in various African countries. It is known as cassava, kokonte, Ugali, foutou, nshima, nsima, sadza, posho, vhuswa, and pap. Each country has its own unique way of preparing fufu but the heating methods are similar. In some extreme cases other people heat up their fufu in the oven although the outer part may become too hard and crispy depending with the kind of ingredients you use to make your fufu.
