How to make Hudut, a traditional Garifuna food in Belize

Hudut Garifuna Food
Reading Time: 2 mins

I’m a man of simple pleasures, next to Belize’s national dish, which is rice and beans with stew chicken and potato salad, Hudut is my favourite Belizean food. And with Garifuna Settlement Day recently occurring on November 19, I’ve been craving this traditional Garifuna dish even more. I’m happy to be cooking it today and sharing the recipe with you guys.

HUDUT

Hudut is easy to make! It is comprised of green and ripe mashed plantains called Fu-fu and a fish coconut stew. This traditional “coconut fish stew” is important to the Garifuna (who primarily live in Hopkins and Dangriga) because it represents their love for the sea and living on the coast.

Many other cultures that are near the sea or ocean have similar dishes hudut. For example, countries such as Brazil and Thailand have their own versions of a coconut fish stew. Here in Belize, the creole culture also has a similar dish, known as SERE. Sere is cooked in a similar manner, however, it involves many other ingredients and is mostly eaten with white rice instead of Fu-fu.

INGREDIENTS

HUDUT INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 Green plantains, mashed
  • 2 Ripe plantains, mashed
  • 2 fishes, Red Snapper
  • 2 Cans of Coconut milk
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
  • A handful or 2 of Okra
  • A touch of fresh Cilantro, minced (use Basil if you prefer)
  • A touch of fresh Oregano, minced
  • Add Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO MAKE HUDUT:

Start off by peeling the plantains and boiling them in a pot of water for 15 to 20 minutes. While your plantains boil, clean and chop your fishes in halves. You have the option of only adding salt and black pepper to your fish or choosing to season it however you prefer.

Traditionally, the plantains are crushed in a large wooden mortar and pestle but a food processor can do just fine. Add a little bit of water if it’s too dry. Add a little bit of sugar if you want your Fu-fu to be sweeter.

Put the coconut milk to boil in a pot and add the oregano, cilantro, garlic, okra and salt and pepper to taste. While you wait for the coconut milk to boil, on a frying pan, lightly sauté the fish until it gets brown.

When the coconut milk is boiling, add the fish and cook for another 20 minutes.

Serve the fish coconut stew with the Fu-fu on the side and enjoy!

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Comments

  1. Rhoda Nicholas says

    I am very grateful for the recipe for hudut, it is so delicious. It is not fattening, very inexpensive to make plus I am saving a lot of money. A plate of hudut now a days cost like twenty dollars.

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