Fonio: What Is It? And How To Cook It?

Bowl of fonio with chickpeas and yoghurt.

5 from 1 vote

Fonio: What Is It? And How To Cook It?

Fonio is an ancient African grain that’s incredibly quick and easy to prepare. Unlike many other grains, you don’t need to soak or rinse it and it cooks in just a few minutes. Nutritious, fluffy and slightly nutty in flavour, this ancient grain is well worth adding to your kitchen.

Prep Time2

Cook Time13

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: West African

Keyword: easy, fonio, quick

Servings: people

Calories: 170kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Ingredients

90 g fonio
250 ml water

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Place the fonio and water into a small lidded saucepan.
90 g fonio, 250 ml water
Bring it to the boil, then turn the heat right down so that it's just about simmering.
Cook for ten minutes with the lid on. Don't be tempted to remove it as you'll lose both valuable heat and moisture. Turn the heat off, but leave the pan and lid in situ for at least three minutes to steam.
Fluff the fonio up with a fork and serve straight away.

Notes

No salt required, though you can add a pinch per person if you think it needs it.

For more flavour, sub the water for veg stock.

If your fonio is too dry once cooked, simply add a tablespoon or two of boiling water to the pan. Cover and leave to steam for a further minute.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition