Fonio Pilaf with Vegetables
A light, fluffy pilaf made from fonio — an ancient West African grain — tossed with sauteed onion, bell pepper, and tomato, and seasoned with warm spices. Fonio cooks in minutes and has a delicate, slightly nutty flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fonio (find at African grocery or online), rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 ripe tomato, diced
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
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1
Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 finely diced yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
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2
Add 2 cloves minced garlic cloves and 1 diced bell pepper and cook 2 more minutes until fragrant.
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3
Stir in 2 diced ripe tomato, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Cook 2 minutes until tomatoes begin to break down.
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4
Pour in 3 cups water and bring to a boil.
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5
Stir in 2 cups rinsed fonio (find at African grocery or online), reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all water is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
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6
Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 2 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
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7
Transfer to a serving dish and top with 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.