Easy African recipes for Africa Day

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Sanctuary Social

Posted 1 hour ago

Mon 25 May, 2026 12:05 AM

Come together and celebrate!

It's World Africa Day, where we commemorate the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union). We celebrate African unity, diversity and cultural heritage.

One way you and your friends/flatmates can join in on the celebrations is by cooking - we've got some recipes for you to try:

Sweet potato shashuka with sriracha butter

1kg sweet potatoes, skin on
3 tbsp olive oil
150g mature cheddar, roughly grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed
1 tsp lemon juice
8 medium free-range eggs
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
salt and pepper

For the pickled onions:

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice

For the sriracha butter:

25g unsalted butter
3/4 tbsp sriracha

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place them on baking paper on an oven tray. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until cooked through and softened. Set aside to cool and turn the oven temperature down to 200 °C.
Meanwhile, make the pickled onion. Mix the onion, lemon juice and a pinch of salt into a small bowl and set aside to pickle.
Remove the cooked potato skins and tear them into pieces. Transfer the potato flesh to a large bowl and set aside. Place the skins back on the oven tray and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Bake for 8 minutes, or until nicely coloured and starting to crisp. Set aside to cool and crisp further.
Mash the potato flesh with a fork until smooth, then add the cheddar, garlic, cumin, another tbsp of olive oil, the remaining lemon juice, a tsp of salt and black pepper.
Pour the remaining olive oil into a large frying pan (you'll need a lid for the pan) and swirl around to coat the bottom. Spoon the mashed potato mixture into the pan, using your spoon to distribute evenly. Place over a medium-high heat and leave to cook for about 7 minutes until the bottom starts to colour. Turn the heat down to low and use a spoon to make 8 wells in the potato mixture, breaking an egg into each. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, cover with the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, rotating the pan occasionally, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
While the eggs are cooking, put the butter and sriracha into a small saucpan on a medium heat and cook until the butter has melted, whisking constantly. Remove the mixture from the heat before it starts to bubble, you don't want it to split.
When ready, spoon the sriracha butter all over the eggs, then top with a good handful of crispy potato skins, half the picked onion and all the picked coriander leaves. Serve right away with the rest of the potato skins and picked onion to eat alongside.

Piri-piri chicken & slaw

1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp hot paprika
2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp onion salt
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp flaky sea salt
2 tsp ground coriander
1 sp caster sugar
1 heaped tsp chilli flakes

1/4 red cabbage, finely shredded
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp piri-piri rub (see above)
1 lime, juice only
1-2 tbsp full-fat Greek yoghurt
pinch of salt

4 chicken breasts
1-2 tbsp piri-piri rub (see above)
1 tbsp olive oil
flatbreads or rice, to serve with

For the sweetcorn:

4 frozen sweetcorn cobs
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch salt

Method:

To make the piri-piri rube, mix all of the ingredients and place in a jar.
To make the piri-piri chicken, place the chicken breasts in a shallow bowl and brush them with the piri-piri rub. Drizzle olive oil over and use your hands to fully cover the chicken.
Place a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and when hot, add the chicken breasts and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are golden and charred.
Meanwhile, to make the sweetcorn, place the frozen cobs in a microwave-safe bowl, splash with a little water and cook from frozen for about 8 minutes, or until tender.
Drizzle the oil over the sweetcorn and season with salt to taste.
To make the slaw, put the shredded vegetables into a bowl and season with piri-piri rub, salt and lime juice. Mix n the Greek yoghurt and stir well.
Serve the piri-piri chicken with all the sides.

Beef, black-eyed bean and plantain hotpot

350g dried black-eyed beans
900g sirloin steak, cut into cubes
325ml vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely choppedA
small amount of fresh root ginger, grated
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 beef stock cubes
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 chilli, chopped
2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced
salt and pepper

Method:

Cook the dried beans in a large pan of boiling water for about 20 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large casserole dish and brown the beef on all sides over a medium heat. Remove and set aside.
Heat 100ml oil in the same pan and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened.
Add the garlic, ginger and dried chilli flakes and stir. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, stock cubes, thyme and chillies and season with salt and pepper. Cook the tomatoes for 10 minutes before adding the beef and beans, and cook on low for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the stew cooks, heat the remaining oil in a deep frying pan and shallow fry the plantain slices in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden-brown. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Top the stew with the plantains before serving.