Africa Recipes
Bold spices, communal stews, ancient grains
African cooking is built on communal pots, slow-simmered stews and grains that have fed the continent for thousands of years. In West Africa, smoky jollof rice, peppery soups thickened with egusi or okra, and pounded yam or fufu sit at the centre of family meals, with suya and kelewele firing up the street-food scene.
East Africa leans on ugali, pilau and coconut-rich Swahili curries, while Ethiopia and Eritrea bring injera, berbere and an extraordinary vegetarian fasting tradition. North Africa layers cumin, saffron and preserved lemon into tagines, couscous and harira, shaped by Berber, Arab and Mediterranean influences.
Further south, braai culture, bobotie and Cape Malay curries tell the story of Southern Africa, and Central Africa's cassava leaves, palm-nut sauces and river fish reflect its forests and waterways. Browse by sub-region below, then dive into a country to explore its tribes, regions and everyday dishes.
Every African recipe in the atlas lists its ingredients, a clear step-by-step method, cooking time, servings and difficulty, so you can cook with confidence whether you are recreating a family favourite or tasting this cuisine for the very first time.
Featured Africa recipes
Smoky Jollof Rice
The pride of West Africa — long-grain rice slow-cooked in a deeply spiced tomato-pepper base until each grain glows red.
Ghanaian Jollof Rice
Ghana's beloved jollof — long-grain rice cooked in a rich tomato base perfumed with bay, ginger and shito heat.
Doro Wat
Ethiopia's national dish — chicken slow-braised in caramelized onions, berbere and spiced butter, served over injera.
Preserved Lemon Chicken Tagine
Slow-cooked chicken with olives, preserved lemon and ras el hanout — fragrant, bright and deeply savory.
Koshari
Egypt's beloved street dish — layers of rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas and spiced tomato sauce, crowned with crispy onions.
Plasas (Cassava Leaf Stew)
Sierra Leone's national dish — pounded cassava leaves slow-cooked in red palm oil with smoked fish, dried shrimp, groundnut paste and ogiri for that signature dark, velvety, deeply savoury stew over rice.
Riz Gras
Burkinabé one-pot rice braised with beef, vegetables and tomato.
Dambou
Steamed millet couscous with moringa leaves — a Nigerien staple.
Akume with Fetri Dessi
Soft cornmeal pap with okra and smoked fish stew.
Amiwo
Reddish tomato-spiced cornmeal porridge served with chicken sauce.
Liberian Cassava Leaf
Slow-cooked ground cassava leaves with smoked meat and palm oil.
Cachupa
National hominy, bean and pork stew of the islands.
Explore Africa by sub-region
West Africa
Smoky jollof, peppery stews, pounded yam and suya street grills.
Waakye, kelewele and groundnut soups built on palm and chili.
Thieboudienne, yassa and tamarind-bright sauces over broken rice.
Cassava leaf stews, groundnut soups and smoky jollof over rice.
Fonio grains, peanut sauces and fiery pepper stews from the Fouta highlands.
Domoda peanut stew, benachin one-pot rice and grilled river fish.
Tiguadege na, jollof-style riz au gras and ancient fonio dishes.
Attiéké, kedjenou chicken and grilled tilapia with shito-style chili.
Riz gras, tô millet porridge and peanut sauces from the Sahel.
Djerma millet dishes, dambou couscous and grilled river fish.
Akume cornmeal, fish stews and palm-nut sauces.
Amiwo spiced cornmeal, kuli-kuli and fiery pepper sauces.
Cassava leaf stews, jollof and palm-butter soups.
Cachupa slow-stew, grilled tuna and Atlantic-creole flavors.
Jollof, caldo de mancarra and Atlantic-creole rice traditions.
Thieboudienne, mechoui lamb and Saharan dates.
East Africa
Injera and slow-simmered wats spiced with berbere and niter kibbeh.
Ugali, nyama choma and sukuma wiki — fire, maize and greens.
Coastal Swahili pilau, coconut curries and chapati.
Matoke, luwombo banana-leaf stews and groundnut sauces.
Isombe, brochettes and ibihaza pumpkin-bean comfort cooking.
Boko boko harees, beans and grilled tilapia from Lake Tanganyika.
Bariis iskukaris, sambusa and xalwo — spice-route Swahili fusion.
Injera with zigni, shiro and aromatic berbere stews.
Kisra flatbreads, ful and Nile fish stews.
Skoudehkaris spiced rice, sambusas and Red Sea fish.
Langouste à la vanille, pilao and clove-island spices.
Creole curries, octopus and tropical-island fish.
Dholl puri, octopus curry and Indo-Creole fusion.
Nsima, chambo from Lake Malawi and pumpkin-leaf relish.
North Africa
Tagines, preserved lemon, ras el hanout and flaky pastilla.
Koshari, ful medames and stuffed vine leaves along the Nile.
Harissa-fired stews, brik pastries and couscous.
Couscous royale, chorba frik and Berber-Andalusian tagines.
Bazin, sharba libiya soup and bsisa roasted-grain pastes.
Ful medames, kisra flatbreads and peanut-rich mullah stews.
Southern Africa
Bobotie, braai culture and Cape Malay curries.
Sadza, nyama and muriwo unedovi peanut greens.
Peri-peri prawns, matapa and coconut-coastal Portuguese fusion.
Game braai, potjiekos and kapana street-grilled beef.
Seswaa pounded beef, bogobe sorghum and morogo wild greens.
Nshima with ifisashi peanut-greens and kapenta little fish.
Romazava, ravitoto and vanilla-spiced rice traditions.
Papa, moroho greens and slow-cooked mutton stews.
Sishwala porridge, sidvudvu and emasi soured milk.
Muamba de galinha, funje and Atlantic-Lusophone seafood.
Central Africa
Ndolé, grilled fish and plantain across forest and savanna.
Moambé chicken, fufu and river fish in palm-rich sauces.
Kanda meatballs, gozo cassava and forest-game stews.
Daraba okra-vegetable stew, boule millet and grilled meats.
Saka-saka cassava leaves, poulet à la moambé and grilled river fish.
Nyembwe chicken, atanga fruit and Atlantic-rainforest cooking.
Pepe soup, succotash and Bantu-Hispanic Atlantic dishes.
Calulu, banana-leaf fish and cocoa-island Lusophone dishes.