Ingredients
Batter
- 300 grice flour
- 100 gmaize flour
- 450 mlwarm water
- 7 ginstant yeast
- 60 gsugar
- ½ tspsalt
To steam
- banana leaves or squares of greaseproof paper, for lining
Directions
- Whisk the rice flour, maize flour and warm water to a smooth pourable batter with no lumps, then beat in the yeast and half the sugar.
- Cover and leave at room temperature for 8 hours, or overnight. It should smell faintly sour and be full of bubbles — that sourness against the sugar is the point of the cake.
- Stir in the remaining sugar and the salt, and let it stand 20 minutes while the steamer comes up to a hard boil.
- Line the steamer baskets with softened banana leaf or paper and ladle in the batter to a depth of about 2 cm, leaving room to rise.
- Steam over vigorous heat for 18–20 minutes, until the surface is set and dry and a skewer comes out clean. Do not lift the lid in the first 10 minutes or they will sink.
- Cool 5 minutes before turning out. Serve warm, traditionally with fried fish and a chilli sauce.
Technique
- The overnight ferment is not optional: it is what makes ablo tangy and light rather than a plain sweet steamed cake.
- Rice flour alone gives a slippery texture; the maize flour is what gives it body.
Substitutions
- Fresh maize, blended and strained, replaces the maize flour in coastal kitchens.
- A tablespoon of lemon juice added with the second sugar sharpens a batter that has not soured enough.
Variations
- A savoury version with the sugar cut to a spoonful, eaten with pepper sauce.
- Ablo steamed directly in folded banana-leaf parcels, which scents the cake.
History
Steamed fermented maize cakes of the Mina coast, slightly sweet and sold alongside fried fish in Cotonou and Lomé markets.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ablo?
Ablo is a bread & pastry from Benin: steamed sweet fermented rice cakes sold with fried fish. Steamed fermented maize cakes of the Mina coast, slightly sweet and sold alongside fried fish in Cotonou and Lomé markets.
How long does Ablo take to make?
Ablo takes 20 min plus 8 hr fermenting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 cakes. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Ablo?
Yes, within limits. Fresh maize, blended and strained, replaces the maize flour in coastal kitchens. A tablespoon of lemon juice added with the second sugar sharpens a batter that has not soured enough.
What is the most important thing to get right in Ablo?
Cover and leave at room temperature for 8 hours, or overnight. It should smell faintly sour and be full of bubbles — that sourness against the sugar is the point of the cake.
