Guyanese bakes are delicious fried disks of dough that can be sweet or savory, also known as float bakes, Johnnys or Johnnycakes depending on where they originate from – in India or West Africa!
Ingredients are easily available and the recipe itself is straightforward: Warm water, brown sugar and all-purpose flour will do.
Ingredients
Guyanese Bake is an easy Caribbean dish made with minimal ingredients. Leavened by baking powder, its disc-shaped dough is then deep fried to golden perfection for a delectable breakfast, lunch or snack option that has its roots somewhere around India or West Africa cuisine. Although its exact origin remains unclear due to recipe being shared from island to island over time.
This recipe requires readily accessible and often already present ingredients: warm water, brown sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, baking powder and butter; as well as a clean dish towel and mixing bowl and large frying pan.
Combine flour and sugars in a large mixing bowl, cutting in butter with a pastry blender or fork until fine crumbs form. Create a well in the center of dry ingredients, pour in warmed water with sugar, then gently combine using a spatula until a soft dough forms. Finally add coconut and stir to combine before dropping by tablespoonful onto an untreated cookie sheet.
Preparation
Guyanese bakes are quick and simple to prepare with minimal ingredients needed in your kitchen: warm water; brown sugar (optional but can enhance flavor); all purpose flour; Baking powder; Salt. You will also require a large saucepan for frying the bakes as well as a clean dish towel to place over them as they finish frying. Guyanese Bakes can be found throughout the Caribbean region; their cooking technique takes inspiration from both Indian and West African cuisine.
Cooking
Guyanese cuisine provides an unforgettable culinary experience that blends traditional cooking techniques and an abundance of flavors into one unique cuisine. Ranging from hearty stews to delectable rice dishes, Guyanese food will leave your palate craving more! Guyanese food draws influence from indigenous, African, and Indian cultures which combine together beautifully in its varied palette. Here are some delicious Guyanese dishes you should try at home today.
Pepperpot, one of Guyana’s national dishes, is an elegant meat stew dish comprised of multiple ingredients. Seasoned with cassareep – a black sauce made from cassava root that gives this stew its distinct taste – as well as cinnamon, cloves, thyme and wiri wiri peppers (small red chili native to Guyana), Pepperpot is usually eaten for breakfast with either roti, rice or bread and makes an ideal start to your day!
This Guyanese dish is an easy and tasty way to surprise family and friends! Made with rice, shrimp and vegetables cooked together in coconut milk for maximum flavor, this delicious treat makes an ideal quick lunch or dinner meal and also an effective way to use up leftover rice from previous nights’ dining!
Another traditional Guyanese dish, Pholourie is an exciting deep-fried split pea dish featuring curry and other spices to give it an interesting flavor profile. Pholourie provides ample sources of protein and fiber – an ideal meal option for vegetarians!
Guyana’s favorite street food, caussava egg balls are an irresistibly delicious snack that are coated in cassava mash before being deep-fried to golden perfection. Enjoy them alongside mango chutney and an invigorating beverage.
Serving
Guyanese bake is a delicious dish that can be enjoyed both savory and sweet. To create it, only three readily accessible ingredients are needed: all purpose flour, sugar and warm water as well as salt and a leavening agent such as baking powder or yeast for leavening purposes. Once all these components have been mixed together they are either fried or roasted depending on what kind of Guyanese bake you want to create.
Guyanese fried bakes are popularly eaten at breakfast time when combined with saltfish or corned beef and are also enjoyed throughout the day as snacks or meals. Easy and satisfying to make, these round fried doughs resemble Indian poori or roti which were brought over from India via indentured labourers in the 1800s.
Pepperpot, with First Nations roots but now enjoyed across Guyana and worldwide, is another timeless dish beloved by both natives and non-natives alike. This hearty stew traditionally uses meats such as cassareep (cassava leaves), okra and green plantain along with ingredients such as thyme, garlic, brown sugar, fresh nutmeg cloves scotch bonnet or serrano chilli peppers as well as spices such as thyme thyme. Some Guyanese chefs now also include plant-based ingredients like unripe or young jackfruit mushrooms as well as vegan alternatives if required.
A tawa (or tava) is an integral tool in Guyanese cuisine, particularly dishes that are fried or roasted. The tawa helps distribute heat evenly across its surface for uniform golden-crusted textures that give dishes like Tawa Chicken their golden color; in particular caramelizing on the outside while creating crispy layers on the inside; similarly it provides perfect sear lines on breads like Tawa Bread made of thick slices of Guyanese plait bread that have been coated in butter on both sides – two dishes which require special treatment when cooking them on either heat source!
Metemgee, a hearty stew of root vegetables and plantains cooked together with coconut milk, is another popular Guyana dish. Originating as an innovation by African slaves trying to maximize available ingredients when food rations were low, its recipe can now easily be modified for plant-based cooks by swapping out meat with more plant-based sources of nutrition such as unseasoned, chopped and fried plantains instead of meat in its ingredient list.