In brief
- Fonio in sauce: precooked fonio served with a tomato sauce with chicken and vegetables
- Origin: West Africa (Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Togo)
- Essential ingredients: precooked fonio, chicken, tomato, onion, carrot, courgette
- Family dish, often prepared for major occasions
Origins and cultural history of fonio in sauce
Fonio is one of the oldest cereals grown in West Africa, known for several millennia in Mali, Guinea, Senegal and Burkina Faso. Cooked with a tomato sauce with chicken and vegetables, this dish is often called fonio au gras: it is particularly popular in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Togo for major family occasions, weddings, christenings or religious festivals.
There are also simpler versions of fonio in sauce, prepared day to day with whatever is found at the market, as well as regional variations such as fonio with leaf sauce in Guinea or firi, a version with smoked fish and soumbala.
What are the essential ingredients of fonio in sauce
Preparing fonio in sauce relies on a precooked cereal and a tomato sauce simmered with meat and seasonal vegetables.
- Precooked fonio
- Chicken
- Fresh tomatoes and tomato paste
- Onion and garlic
- Carrot and courgette
- Stock and oil
Nutritional benefits of fonio in sauce
Per 100 grams of dry grain, the USDA FoodData Central database gives approximately 369 kilocalories, 7 grams of protein and 81 grams of carbohydrates for fonio. CIRAD, which has studied this cereal for several decades, highlights its content of sulphur amino acids, methionine and cystine, less common in everyday cereals. Fonio is not among the cereals that contain gluten by nature (wheat, rye, barley, oats); if you need to avoid gluten, still check the label of the product you receive, as traces are possible depending on the packaging lines.
Frequently asked questions about fonio in sauce
How do you cook precooked fonio for this recipe?
Rinse the precooked fonio in clear water, then pour it into boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain it, let it swell covered for 5 minutes off the heat, then fluff it with a fork before mixing it into the sauce.
Can chicken be replaced in fonio in sauce?
Yes, this sauce is also prepared with smoked fish, particularly in firi, a variation of fonio au gras with smoked fish and soumbala, or with vegetables alone and a vegetable stock for a meat-free version.
Where to find the ingredients for fonio in sauce in France?
NKOSI sells the precooked fonio, dried onion powder and stock powder needed for this recipe, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 59 €.
