Our Menu
Our mission is to provide the most authentic African culinary experience coupled with diverse flavors, colours and culture. Explore and download our menu below and indulge!
Menu
Our mission is to provide the most authentic African culinary experience coupled with diverse flavors, colours and culture. Explore and download our menu below and indulge!
Our flavor filled scrumptious starters are made from scratch with using wholesome ingredients – and get you ready for the main dish! Wet your appetite with the selections below.
Entice your tastebuds with these tasty chicken drumettes barbecued to
perfection with homemade spicy barbecue sauce. These are a great
appetizer and are always a huge hit with the kids while you wait for
the main meal! After marinating the drumettes in special homemade barbecue sauce, allow the chicken to sit in the marinate for an hour and then slow grilled
and regularly flipped on both sides until brown and tender.
Peppered gizzard is a lip-smacking, mouthwatering delicacy that makes an excellent snack.
So what is “Chicken Gizzard“? The gizzard is an organ found in the digestive tract of a chicken that helps it digest food. It is a tough muscle that grinds up the hard grains the chicken eats. Its usually consumed as a snack, appetizer, street food, or party food, in many parts of the world. In Nigeria, they are a popular food and a family favorite.
Gizzards can be boiled, fried, grilled, stewed, or skewered. Despite the tough texture its becomes quite tender when cooked. This recipe is made with bell peppers and habanero peppers and is quite hot, so spicy food lovers will really enjoy this!
Cassava chips are a popular snack made from thinly sliced cassava roots. Cassava, also known as yuca, is a starchy tuber widely grown in tropical regions. The chips are typically fried until crispy, resulting in a crunchy texture. They can be seasoned with various spices and flavors, such as salt, pepper, or chili powder, to add a savory kick. Cassava chips are enjoyed as a tasty and satisfying snack, perfect for munching on their own or paired with dips and sauces. They offer a unique alternative to potato chips and are a delicious way to experience the flavors of tropical cuisine.
Fish balls from West Africa are a popular street food and appetizer made from a mixture of fish, herbs, spices, and other ingredients. The fish is typically ground or finely chopped, then combined with ingredients such as onions, garlic, ginger, and various herbs and spices like parsley, thyme, and chili peppers. The mixture is shaped into small balls and either deep-fried or steamed until cooked through. Fish balls are known for their tender and flavorful texture, and they are often served with a dipping sauce or added to soups and stews for added flavor and protein. They make for a delicious and satisfying snack or addition to any West African meal.
Plantains are also referred to as cooking bananas because they are generally used in cooking. They can be eaten ripe or unripe and are generally quite starchy. In West Africa and other parts of Africa, plantains are often cooked as part of the main course or as a side dish. However, ripe plantains can also be eaten raw since their starches have been converted to sugars. They are different than bananas in that they are bigger and longer, are bright green (turning black as they ripen), and have thicker skins.
We have a range of wholesome and hearty soups that will take you right back home. Each bowl is made to satisfy every taste and filled with that familiar warming comfort that reminds you of African home cooking. Indulge yourself in the classic favorites such as Egusi Soup, Ogbono Soup, Okra Soup and Pepper Soup.
Egusi (also known by variations including egwusi, agusi, ohue, Ikpan, Ikon, agushi) is the name for the protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants (squash, melon, gourd), which after being dried and ground are used as a major ingredient in West African cuisine.
Egusi soup is an exotic hearty food that will satisfy your taste buds made out of pumpkin seeds. It is a staple in most West African home and it is an uncomplicated one pot meal that is often accompanied with swallows like Eba, Amala, Semolina, Pounded Yam, Fufu or Rice.
Leaf vegetables typically used for egusi soup include bitterleaf, pumpkin leaf, celosia and spinach. Other vegetables can include tomatoes and okra. Seasonings include chili peppers, onions, and locust beans. Also commonly used are beef, goat, fish, shrimp, or crayfish.
Ogbono soup, is a Nigerian dish made with ground dry ogbono seeds. Ogbono seeds are originated and were first grown in Southern Nigeria. with considerable local variation. The main ingredients are Ogbono seeds, water, oil, leaf vegetables (bitterleaf and celosia), other vegetables, seasonings and meat.
It can be eaten with Fufu, Semolina or with Pounded Yam. Ogbono soup has a mucilaginous (slimy) texture, similar to okra soup.
Typical leaf vegetables include bitterleaf, celosia, tomatoes and okra. Seasonings can include chilies, onions, and iru (fermented locust beans). Protein pairings may include Meat, Fish or Chicken.
Okra or Okro soup is prepared using the edible green seed pods of the okra flowering plant as a primary ingredient. It is greenish in colour. Okra has a slippery feel when rubbed with the fingers. The edible green seed pods can also be used in stews and soups.
It can be eaten with Fufu, Semolina or with Pounded Yam.
Seasonings can include chilies and onions. Protein pairings may include Meat, or Fish.
Pepper Soup is an easy, hearty comfort food very popular in West Africa. It is also known as African Pepper soup and, as the name implies, it is a hot and spicy broth made with a blend of aromatic African spices. Our pepper soup can be made with either Goat meat, Beef or Lamb. Please check to confirm on the day what type of meat we’ve used to cook the pepper soup.
It can be eaten with Fufu, Semolina or with Pounded Yam.
Seasonings can include chilies and onions. Protein pairings may include Meat, or Fish.
Banga soup, also known as palm nut soup, is a popular dish from West Africa. It is a flavorful and aromatic soup made from the extract of palm nuts. The soup is typically cooked with a variety of ingredients such as meat, fish, vegetables, and spices. It has a rich and creamy texture, with a hint of sweetness from the palm nuts. Banga soup is often served with a side of pounded yam, fufu, or rice. It is a delicious and satisfying dish that showcases the vibrant flavors of West African cuisine.
At The African Calabash we have taken West African cuisine to a whole new level. Experience wholesome scrumptious African dishes to suit all taste buds. Our dishes are made with the freshest 100% natural ingredients sourced locally with a menu inspired by the motherland.
Our dishes are all made to order, so please check for availability.
Suya (also known as Kankanka) is Nigerian Street Food at its Finest—think nutty, spicy beef threaded onto skewersthen grilled, the finished sticks cradled in paper or foil with a side of fresh tomatoes, sliced red onions, and a sprinkling of yajin kuli. Yajin kuli is made from yaji— a blend of chiles, ginger, garlic, onions, salt and other spices—and ground kuli kuli, which is essentially dehydrated and defatted groundnut (peanut) paste.
Jollof rice, is a rice dish from West Africa. The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables and meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across different regions.
When paired with meat it is an easy yet tasty one-pan meal enjoyed in West African countries. It’s bursting with flavors from the tomato sauce, paprika, scotch bonnet, and the juices coming off from the well-seasoned beef, goat or lamb meat.
*The choice of protein reflected in this image is fish.
Jollof rice, is a rice dish from West Africa. The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables and meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across different regions.
When paired with meat it is an easy yet tasty one-pan meal enjoyed in West African countries. It’s bursting with flavors from the tomato sauce, paprika, scotch bonnet, and the juices coming off from the well-seasoned beef, goat or lamb meat.
*The choice of protein reflected in this image is chicken.
Jollof rice, is a rice dish from West Africa. The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables and meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across different regions.
When paired with meat it is an easy yet tasty one-pan meal enjoyed in West African countries. It’s bursting with flavors from the tomato sauce, paprika, scotch bonnet, and the juices coming off from the well-seasoned beef, goat or lamb meat.
*The choice of protein reflected in this image is lamb.
Attiéké is the famous cassava semolina nicknamed “couscous of Ivory Coast”. Acheke, also spelled Attiéké, “Attcheke” or Akyeke, is a side dish made from cassava, and is a popular and traditional cuisine in West Africa. The dish is prepared from fermented cassava pulp that has been grated or granulated. Dried attiéké is also prepared, which is similar in texture to couscous.
Attiéké is the result of a long process of working with cassava. It is the culinary specialty par excellence of certain lagoon peoples: Ebrié, Adjoukrou, Alladien, Avikam, Attie and Ahizi, in the south of Côte d’Ivoire and it is traditionally prepared by groups of women who meet in their village especially for the preparation.
Attieke can be served or paired with the following choices of proteins: Barramundi, Snapper, Tilapia Fish, Chicken and Meat.
*The choice of protein reflected in this image is fish.
hicken and meat stew from West Africa is a flavorful and hearty dish that combines tender chicken and meat with a rich blend of spices and vegetables. It is often prepared using ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and a variety of aromatic herbs and spices like thyme, curry powder, and chili peppers. The stew is typically slow-cooked to allow the flavors to meld together, resulting in a delicious and comforting meal. It is commonly enjoyed with rice or a side of crusty bread.
Beans (cooked in Palm Oil) Served with Plantains.
This One-Pot Beans and Plantains recipe (bean pottage) is finger-licking street food at its best – think filling protein from the black-eyed beans, flavour from the palm oil and fish and a little hint of sweetness via the plantains. This meal can be eaten on its own or with bread.
Plantains are peeled and cut into thick chunks. The fish, onion and pepper are ground. The beans are strained and cooked in a pressure cooker or pot until tender. The onions and plantains are cooked till tender. Add fish, stock cubes ,palm oil and salt and pepper to taste – then mix thoroughly and leave to simmer.
Cassava leaves are the leaves of yucca plants also known as cassava). They are large green leaves that are popular in West and Central Africa.
Cassava Leaves are one of the pillars in the Sierra Leonean & Central African diet. It’s mostly eaten with white or checkered rice, but some hard-cores have it with fufu. It’s fairly affordable and full of nutrients packed with flavour.
It’s a fairly simple dish to make and generally entails dumping everything in a big pot and letting it boil for a while. Cassava Leaves can be cooked with either fish, chicken, meat or pig trotters as your choices or protein. You can also cook Cassava Leaves with palm oil or vegetable oil. For more flavour, you can add peanut butter and fermented sesame seeds.
Potato Leaves is a popular dish Sierra Leone, Liberia and most of West and Central Africa. It is secret ingredient is fermented sesame seeds (or ogeri) and is typically served with rice.
Potato Leaves are one of the pillars in the Sierra Leonean & Central African diet. It’s mostly eaten with white or checkered rice, but some hardcores have it with fufu. It’s fairly affordable and full of nutrients packed with flavour.
It’s a fairly simple dish to make and generally entails dumping everything in a big pot and letting it boil for a while. Potato Leaves can be cooked with either fish, chicken, meat or pig trotters as your choices or protein. You can also cook Potato Leaves with palm oil or vegetable oil. For more flavour, you can add fermented sesame seeds.
Authentic West African Restaurant in the Heart of Footscray Melbourne.
Drop in for a visit or call us to place an an order or booking – you’re in very good hands!
At El-Shaddai we pride ourselves in serving up the most Authentic West African Food Experience in Sydney and Melbourne.
