Written by Temitope Alao-Sanni, RD, LD July 2020

The Food and Agriculture Organization highlights that considering the detrimental environmental impact of current food systems, and the concerns raised about their sustainability, there is an urgent need to promote diets that are healthy and have low environmental impacts. These diets also need to be socio-culturally acceptable and economically accessible for all. This is why it is important to embrace locally available foods for our meals and snacks! In this article, I share about one of the numerous local snacks we can have to promote healthy and sustainable eating and how to make it (with the hope that you will try it).

Tanfirin is a local Nigerian snack made from maize and groundnut as base ingredients, it has a unique, rich flavour and taste. Safe to say, Donkuwa/Tanfirin is native to the Nigerian Hausa tribe. It is a healthy and affordable snack, available all season. Eating healthy is usually perceived as being expensive but when you utilize locally available food items, it becomes easier and more sustainable.
Here is a recipe/step by step process on how to prepare donkuwa.

Ingredients

Corn

Peanut/groundnut

Chilli pepper

1 tbsp palm oil

Ground cloves

Cooking oil

Water

Directions

Wash your hands an all utensils to be used used

Roast maize until golden brown and blend into fine powder (you can use corn meal, millet, or any other grain/cereal)

Sieve to remove chaff, impurities etc.

Blend all the dry ingredients (corn, groundnut powder, clove powder, chilli powder) to form a smooth powder mix

Pour fine powder into a bowl and thicken with some drops of water and cooking oil

Alternatively, you can thicken with peanut butter in place of blended groundnut powder

Knead the paste into a thick dough-like product and mould into bite sizes

You can serve straight away or freeze in air-tight containers

The cereal and legume mixture makes donkuwa a delicious plant source of complete essential amino acids. It is also rich in other micro and macro nutrients and can be consumed in moderation by everyone who is not allergic to any of the ingredients.

For nutrition counselling, education or consultations, please reach out to speak to one of our Registered Dietitians here