First Recipe for Cookbook!

Here's my first entry for the Togolese Cookbook...from a fellow volunteer! See what you think ;-)

Viandes d’Sésame (cuisine Béninoise)

1 ½ cups sesame (makes approx 15)
1 small can tomato paste
1 egg
1 Maggi cube (chicken bouillon)
3T corn flour Spices :{ mixture} ground garlic, ground ginger, cayenne, blk. pepper, salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 ½ cups H2O
1 onion -chopped
4 green hot peppers
Vegetables and Meat can be added according to preference: {normally served with cabbage and carrots - Carrots, onion, hot peppers, green pepper, cabbage, green beans, chicken, fish, and beef

1. Mix the spices in a small bowl to form a sauce with a bit of water added
2. Grind the sesame to form a paste (water should be added in the process)
3. Reserve a small portion of the sesame paste and set aside. With remaining mixture, stir in one egg, 3 T corn flour and a pinch of salt till paste thickens
4. Boil water in a medium sized pan, add Maggi cube and a portion of the spice mixture to make a broth
5. Drop spoonfuls of the sesame mixture into the boiling water and heat until the balls float to the top –remove from heat and set aside
6. In a separate saucepan, mix can of tomato paste, oil, onion and heat (if possible add a small amount of diluted potassium-brown-)when in Togo
7. Slowly stir in sesame balls and the broth, reserving a portion of the broth aside. Add the remaining spice mixture and sesame paste and stir until boiling. (remaining broth can be added if needed) Add vegetables and pre-cooked meat if desired.
8. Simmer until vegetables are tender.
9. Serve over rice, polenta (pâté), or my favorite Fufu (pounded yams).