Baku's brings a taste of Nigeria to Amherst

By CLAIRE HOPLEY

Published on January 27, 2006

A sunshiny feeling suffuses Baku's African Restaurant in Amherst even on the coldest, slushiest days of winter.

One wall pictures women swathed in orange and yellow dresses, swaying elegantly across a palm-shaded beach carrying baskets of fruit - a mural evocative of warmth and pleasure painted by Nancy Haver of Amherst.

And then there is the pleasing atmosphere, rich with the perfume of plantains and the aromas of spiced rice with savory chicken and lamb, of beef cooked with mangos, and of the tempting, mouthful-sized bean cakes called akara, a favorite street food in Nigeria.

The warm tropical feeling reflects the woman who has conjured up this little spot of Africa, Pat Ononibaku. She's a long-time Amherst resident, but Nigeria is her homeland.

Baku came here to attend the University of Massachusetts, where she got her bachelor's and master's degrees in consumer studies. Ever since she attended a student fair of international foods that omitted African fare she has been keen to bring the food of her continent and her country to local tables.

Nigerian cuisine

In conversation she is quick to make distinctions between what people in Nigeria eat and what people in other African countries eat; what is traditional food and what is food that arrived relatively recently with colonial rulers.

'Nigeria is a tropical country,' she explains. 'We have a lot of tropical fruits and vegetables so our food is brightly colored.'

Among the staple foods are cassava, which is made into a meal resembling grits. Called garri, it is cooked with water until its texture is like mashed potato. Rice, millet and corn are other popular grains, and yams are staples too.

'We eat wheat; we even grow wheat in northern Nigeria, but it is not considered traditional,' explains Ononibaku. 'We eat it at breakfast, but we don't do sandwiches for lunch or supper. Cakes and cookies we can buy, but they are more for special occasions.'

At her restaurant, Ononibaku serves no wheat products, since wheat contains high levels of gluten, somewhat indigestible to some people. She also serves no milk-based foods because though there are parts of Africa where they are basic to the diet, this is not true of Nigeria, and they, too, can be indigestible for some people.

'The cuisine at Baku's is really healthy,' she says. 'It's gluten-free and lactose-free. We use no sugar, no preservatives, no butter, only vegetable oil.

Baku's opened last October and has won an enthusiastic clientele. A basket for comments sits on the counter, and customers have left messages congratulating the 'great food,' 'the great environment,' the 'nice young Italian employee,' 'the excellent akara and sauce,' 'the cloth napkins' and 'the vegetarian options.'

One customer from the Ivory Coast left a note asking Ononibaku to include his country's sauce, vert, to the fare. Another hoped that ribs were African and might appear, while an Amherst College student wrote, 'Wonderful! My Jamaican taste buds are happy!'

Ononibaku isn't surprised that her cooking appeals to people from the Caribbean. 'People don't always realize that a lot of cooking has roots in Africa, especially in the Caribbean and the American south,' she says. 'So you have our fried plantains and yams also in the Caribbean, and in the south, there's gumbo, for example, which comes from Africa. And jambalaya is a version of our jolloff rice.'

Baku's menu

On Baku's menu Jolloff Rice is the signature dish. It's yellow and flavored with mild curry powder, which is one of the staple spices of Nigeria. Another is hot pepper, but since tolerance for fiery foods varies, Ononibaku makes everything mild, though customers may request a spiced-up version of the main dishes.

The list of main dishes includes Lamb Smothered in Tomato Sauce, Curry Goat Meat, Beef Mango, Grilled Seasoned Salmon, Grilled Shrimp with Onions, Black Eyed Peas with Curry Tomato Sauce and Baku's signature Jolloff Rice with Curry Chicken, Vegetables and Dodo, which is fried plantain.

Plantain also appears on the appetizer list, both as chips served with salsa, and as boli, a dish in which it is roasted and served with a peanut sauce. Other Nigerian dishes on the menu are Egusi Soup, which is a thick melon-seed soup that can be either vegetarian or meat based, and Mai Mai, a savory pudding of black-eyed peas.

Ononibaku approaches her work a little like a missionary. After that international fair where there were no dishes from Africa, she began making African food, not only for student fairs but also as a caterer. Now that she has her own restaurant she is keen to attract all kinds of customers. to appeal to parents and children, her menu offers kids' selections and a family-meal special. Local professionals and people who have traveled in Africa have been coming in to experience once again the flavors they enjoyed abroad.

As for students, with a convenient location at 197 North Pleasant St. in downtown Amherst, and participation in the Off-Campus Meal Plan, Ononibaku is hoping students will enjoy both her flavorful food and her moderate prices.

She opens for lunch and dinner, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m to 7 p.m; on Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m to 9 p.m; and on Sunday, from 4 to 7 p.m. For more information, call the restaurant at 253-7202.

Meantime, here are some of her Nigerian dishes to try at home.

FRIED PLANTAINS

Pat Ononibaku says that fried plantains, which are typically served with stew or rice in Nigeria, are also often served with scrambled eggs for breakfast.

4 ripe plantains (very yellow)

Cooking oil 1-1/2 inches deep

Wash the plantains with the skin on. Slit the skin with a sharp knife for easy removal. Slice diagonally into 8 pieces not more than 1/ 3-inch thick. Heat the oil in the skillet and fry the plantains on both sides until they are golden brown. Make sure there is enough oil in the pan to just cover the plantains. Drain on absorbent paper.

AKARA

Most often in Nigeria these are bought from street vendors. You can serve them with hot cereal or rice or eat them as a snack or appetizer.

1 pound dried black-eyed peas

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon finely chopped onions

salt to taste

crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

corn oil

Wash the beans. Soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a blender, process the beans with 3/4 cup water until a smooth consistency is reached. Grind for an extra 10 minutes to make the mixture light and airy.

Add the onions, salt, red pepper flakes and grind thoroughly. Heat an inch of oil in a large skillet. Test the temperature by dropping a spoonful of bean mixture into the oil to see if it forms a ball. If so, the oil is ready. Fry by spoonfuls until the balls brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

MAI-MAI

1 pound dried black-eyed peas

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon chopped shrimp or chopped egg or corned beef (optional)

1 cup water

salt to taste

pepper (optional)

Wash the peas then soak them in warm water for 15 minutes.

Put them in a blender with water and grind until smooth, adding more water as needed. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Grease six small bowls with oil. If you prefer, you can make foil packets by cutting aluminum foil into 6-inch squares. Grease them. Pour the mixture into the bowls and cover with foil, or place in the foil squares and fold into a packet. Steam for 1ﾴ hours in a large pot of boiling water. Allow to cool, then turn out onto plates. Serve warm with rice or hot cereal.