kedjenou

Here's a recipe for kedjenou - the dish that Vivian and Djeli were eating at the African Grill in Bamako that first night when Mariam came storming in with her head-tie undone.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut up
2 or 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
2 onions, sliced
3 hot chili peppers, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. ginger, minced
1 t. thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325˚. Put all the ingredients in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Place in oven for about 2 ½ hours. Jostle the pot a few times while cooking. Correct seasoning. Serve with foutou (mashed yams).