Banku with Grilled Fish and Pepper Sauce
Whole grilled sea bream with a fresh fiery pepper sauce and smooth, slightly tangy banku to scoop it up.
- Time1 hr 5
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.13 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Slash the fish 3 times on each side. Rub with the oil, ground ginger, garlic granules and half the salt, working it into the cuts.
- 2
Blend the tomatoes, half the red onion, the scotch bonnet, fresh ginger and a pinch of salt to a coarse sauce. Finely slice the remaining onion and stir it in.
- 3
Heat the grill to high. Grill the fish on a tray for 8 minutes on each side, until the skin blisters and the flesh flakes at the thickest part.
16 min - 4
For the banku, whisk the maize meal, cassava flour, lemon juice, remaining salt and 300 ml of the water in a heavy pan until smooth.
- 5
Place over a medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes as it thickens into lumps. Add the remaining water, 100 ml at a time.
5 min - 6
Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes, then beat hard for 3 minutes until smooth, stretchy and glossy. Shape with wet hands into 4 balls.
13 min - 7
Serve the banku with the fish and the pepper sauce, pulling the fish apart with your fingers.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.