Sweet Potato Fonio Fritters with Sweet and Spicy Aioli

Welcome to EATS, where we bring you plant-rich recipes and tips for flavorful, sustainable home cooking. Together, we will explore the world of plants, sharpen our kitchen skills, and help create a more just food system. EATS is not about what you can or can’t eat, or what you should or shouldn’t eat. It’s about eating (and cooking) more plants and enjoying every single bite.This recipe is by Amethyst Ganaway, award winning chef, food writer, and content manager for Yolélé.

Fonio is a tiny, ancient West African millet—the oldest cultivated grain on the African continent, and has been domestically grown for over 5000 years. It is seeped in folkloric creation myths in the Dogon culture of Mali, known as the seed from whence the whole universe began. It was so revered that Egyptian pharaohs and nobles were buried with it in their ancient tombs. But there is more to fonio—the grain as small as sand—than meets the eye. This whole grain is full of nutrients, vitamins, and even packs some protein. It’s so good for you that new mothers in some West African cultures are fed the grain for its dense nutritional value and even give their babies fonio amongst their first solid foods. In addition to being a nutritious food source, Fonio is also a sustainable crop. It’s easy to grow, not requiring much water, inputs, or labor since it can literally be thrown into any soil and left to germinate. This grain regenerates ecosystems and farmland ruined by climate change and desertification across the Sahel region of Africa. Companies like Yolélé are working to turn this powerful grain into a full supply chain for the smallholder farmers as well as spread the word to larger organizations who can help in the battle against climate change. 

Above all, fonio is delicious. It is texturally comparable to quinoa or couscous, and cooks similarly as well. Most fonio in the western world is cleaned and processed to make cooking easier—under five minutes on the stove or steamed in the microwave. Similarly to couscous, it soaks up sauces, soups, and stews, and really any flavor you impart on it, whereas on its own it has a neutral but slightly nutty flavor. Fonio is a wonderful substitute in recipes that include wheat flour—it bakes well for cakes and cookies and even fries well, leaving a crispy golden color on the dish. This recipe is simple to make, can be prepared days ahead, and can be made savory or sweet (although this particular recipe is savory), to show the versatility of fonio and sweet potato. And the aioli can be adjusted for heat and spice, but don’t skimp and substitute for mayonnaise here—the homemade dip is well worth the effort of making it by hand!