Curried Fonio

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4 Servings

As an avid grain-eater, I am always looking for ways to diversify my side dishes — and curried fonio is one of my favorites. The gluten-free super-grain native to West Africa is the perfect vehicle to let curry spices shine. With a handful of pantry ingredients and in under 30 minutes, the little grain transforms into a fluffy pot of warmth and goodness.

Feel free to play around with the recipe. I love to throw seasonable vegetables into the mix to utilize the fresh ingredients I find at my local farmers market. If for some reason you don’t eat all of it in one sitting, this curried fonio makes a great addition to a breakfast scramble or hash. It’d also be delicious fried into fritters!

Ingredients

1/2 small white or yellow onion
2 large cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed, divided
1/2 cup fonio, such as Yolélé
2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup toasted pecans
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves or cilantro
3 tablespoons raisins

Instructions

Dice 1/2 small white or yellow onion. Mince 2 large garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon). Place 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil and 1/2 cup fonio, and stir until coated in the spices. Add 2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 1 minute more.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 minute. Cover and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely chop 1/4 cup toasted pecans. Pick and coarsely chop fresh parsley leaves or cilantro until you have 2 tablespoons.
Uncover and fluff the fonio with a fork. Add the pecans, parsley or cilantro, and 3 tablespoons raisins, and gently fold to combine.