Togo | Side

Djenkoume

Name: Djenkoume
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Togo, West Africa
Ingredients: 2 cups fine cornmeal; 2 tbsp red palm oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 3 medium tomatoes, blended; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth; salt and pepper, to taste

Togolese tomato cornmeal dough cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, palm oil, and broth, often served with grilled chicken.

Country

Togo

Region

West Africa

Time

50 min

Serves

Level

medium

Start cooking Explore Togo recipes

01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

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

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Side

Cornmeal

2 cups fine cornmeal

Sauce

2 tbsp red palm oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated 3 medium tomatoes, blended 2 tbsp tomato paste

Liquid

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Finishing

salt and pepper, to taste

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

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

Back to Togo

4 steps 15 min prep 35 min cook (check method) 50 min total medium

Toast cornmeal

Toast cornmeal in a dry pot, stirring, until it smells nutty but does not burn.

toast 06:00

Cook tomato base

In another pot, cook onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste, and palm oil into a red sauce.

tomato base 12:00

Stir dough

Add broth, then stream in cornmeal while stirring constantly until thick and smooth.

stir 15:00

Shape

Cook until the dough pulls from the pot, then shape and serve hot.

finish 05:00

Related to Beninese amiwo, some versions use chicken broth, dried shrimp, coconut milk, or a separate tomato sauce.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for grilled chicken, fried fish, and Togolese party plates.. Plan on a medium cook. Allow about 50 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Togolese grilled chicken, fried fish, tomato sauce, or chili.

Regional lane

Togo national table. A structured Togo dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Skipping the resting time after grilling.
Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.

How you know it is ready

The surface should be deeply colored while the center stays juicy.
The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Djenkoume recipe from Togo — Djenkoume finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Djenkoume

Togolese grilled chicken, fried fish, tomato sauce, or chili.

Best route from here

Togo national table

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