Ghana | Main dish

Banku and Tilapia

A Ghanaian plate of smooth fermented corn and cassava dough served with seasoned grilled tilapia and pepper sauce.

Country
Ghana
Region
West Africa
Time
70 min
Serves
4
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for weekend grilling, coastal-style meals, and Ghanaian restaurant plates.. Plan on a medium cook and about 70 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Shito, fresh pepper sauce, sliced onion, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Regional lane

Soups, stews, and swallow table. Groundnut, greens, fish, palm oil, and fufu-friendly bowls.

Chef watch-outs
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
  • Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
  • Skipping the resting time after grilling.
How you know it is ready
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The surface should be deeply colored while the center stays juicy.
  • The bread or batter should smell pleasantly fermented, toasted, or nutty rather than floury.
Pantry lane

shito, palm oil, sorghum leaves, fermented corn dough, groundnut

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Banku and Tilapia recipe from Ghana
Banku and Tilapia finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Banku and Tilapia

Shito, fresh pepper sauce, sliced onion, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Best route from here

Soups, stews, and swallow table

Collections to keep cooking
Across Africa Showstoppers
Social plate

Why Banku and Tilapia gets people talking

Charred tilapia, smooth banku, pepper sauce, and hand-eaten serving make it instantly social.

#6 Showstopper
Hook

The grill-and-shito power plate.

Caption starter

Tilapia, banku, shito, and no overthinking.

Hosting move

Put shito and fresh pepper sauce in separate small bowls so guests can choose their heat.

Photo angle

Shoot the fish whole with banku tucked beside it and sauce catching light.

Share this recipe Post the caption Open the showstopper board
Servings 4

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Ghana
5 steps 25 min prep 45 min cook 70 min total medium
1
Season the fish
Rub scored tilapia with ginger, garlic, onion, scotch bonnet if using, oil, and salt. Let it sit while you start the banku.
Marinate 15:00
2
Start the banku
Whisk corn dough, cassava dough, water, and salt in a heavy pot until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Stir banku 15:00
3
Steam the banku
When the dough thickens, reduce heat, splash in a little water, cover briefly, then stir again until smooth and elastic.
Kitchen noteA strong wooden spoon helps. Banku should be smooth, not grainy.
Steam banku 15:00
4
Grill the tilapia
Grill or broil the tilapia, turning once, until cooked through and lightly charred.
Grill fish 25:00
5
Plate
Shape banku into balls and serve with grilled tilapia, shito or pepper sauce, and sliced vegetables.

Banku may be served with okra stew, soup, pepper sauce, grilled fish, or fried fish. The tilapia seasoning varies by cook.

Keep exploring

Cook around Banku and Tilapia

Follow country, category, collection, time, and pairing paths without turning the recipe page into a link farm.

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