Originally, kedjenou was a dish that Baoulé farmers, an ethnic group from central Ivory Coast, prepared in the field during their work break. Tomatoes, onions, eggplants, ginger, peppers and chicken that was caught at the yard were the only ingredients. Today, kedjenou chicken is no longer just a peasant affair but is a very popular dish in Ivory Coast. Over the years, the recipe has improved or rather I would say modernized with ingredients that are added to further enhance the taste but while respecting the principle of traditional cooking which is stewing with leaves. In this article, I offer you the recipe for this delicious Ivorian dish, easy to cook. A few minutes of preparation and you put it on the fire.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 chicken
- 5 tomatoes
- 2 small eggplants
- 2 onions
- 5 cloves of garlic
- ginger
- 1 seasoning cube
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- Salt
- Pepper
Total time
Preparation: 30min Rest: – Cooking: 1h30min
PREPARATION
1
To begin, carefully clean your chicken and put it in a salad bowl. For a better taste, you should use the so-called "layer" chicken or what is called in Africa the village chicken. Then cut into small pieces (12 minimum);
2
Then cut the tomatoes, onions and pepper. Also crush in a small mortar or blend lightly so that the kedjenou is a little more saucy at the end of cooking. Also cut the eggplants then blend the garlic and ginger;
3
Put the chicken in a kedjenou pan, pour in the chopped vegetables, garlic and ginger, pepper, salt, bay leaves and mix well. Make sure to season it well from the beginning because once the pan is on the fire, you should not open it;
4
Cover the pan with banana leaves or baking paper, then place on the heat and cook gently for 1 hour 30 minutes. In general, kedjenou is cooked in a saucepan to prevent the heat from escaping and to generate as much water as possible which will then produce the sauce. This is why it is cooked in this special pan called a kedjenou pan (earthenware calabashes were previously used) and then covered with banana leaves or attiéké leaves before closing with the lid of the pan; ⇒ If you do not have the right pan, place the banana leaves in a pan then pour in the chicken that you have previously mixed with the cut vegetables and other seasonings correctly with your hands and cover with other banana leaves so that the chicken is completely wrapped. Also cook without adding water and over low heat;
5
During cooking, shake the pan without opening it every 10 minutes to prevent the chicken from burning. In fact, shaking the pan is rather symbolic because that is where the name "kedjenou" comes from, which means "to shake inside" in the Baoulé language. Your chicken kedjenou is ready. Serve with attiéké or white rice. Enjoy hot without moderation because it is a healthy, light and above all "healthy" dish. 
Enjoy your meal! ♥ Do you like this recipe? Then you will surely enjoy the recipe for Poulet yassa and even that of poulet DG
