To Eat At Someone Else's Table: Kelly's Beef Suya Dumplings
My eighth guest of To Eat at Someone Else’s Table is Kelly of Kelly.Kooks! Like many of the wonderful women featured in this interview series, I met Kelly on the good ole’ Instagram and have been completely obsessed with her food since first following her. Her food is gorgeous and colorful, and you can tell is prepared with true love for the craft - a passion she has been nurturing since the young age of 6 or 7. Kelly has graciously shared her recipe for Beef Suya Dumplings, a melange of flavors from two of her favorite cuisines - African and Asian cuisines.
Learn more about Kelly, her connection to food, and her Beef Suya Dumplings in her interview below!
Interview with Kelly
Tell us about yourself!
“Hi there! My name is Kelly Boadu. I am originally from Ghana, West Africa, but grew up for the most part in Silver Spring, Maryland. I found my passion for food at an incredibly young age cooking with my grandmother. I knew cooking was my thing when I fearlessly decided to cook with ingredients my grandmother had plans for; to our surprise, it was delicious. I was 6 or 7 at the time and I still remember to this day, the sense of achievement I felt while we ate. Since then, I knew deep in my heart, I wanted to cook. Food became a center point and an anchor in my life because through all the motions, it is a constant. Food is to me what sunlight is to a plant: life giving; transformative. I really do believe that this is my calling. I spent my first three years of college, trying to walk a path that was not my own. I am sure most foreigners can relate to parents choosing their future profession. That was until fate intervened.”
Tell us about this dish. What is it & where do its origins lay?
“This dish has become a favorite in my home. Beef Suya Dumpling is a creation I concocted while working on my next big project. I am currently working on debuting my spice business while also creating versatile recipes to match. Suya is a popular West African street food. It is barbecued, skewered meat, dressed in the oh so tasty peanut based Suya seasoning. The smoke from the grill is an important aspect of this delicacy, so in my recipe, I added a dash of liquid smoke to mimic this distinctive flavor. Beef dumplings, African spices, and Suya chili oil. Such a wonderful combination.”
Do you have a special memory associated with this dish? Why is this dish special to you?
“This dish is dear to me because it a mélange of two of my favorite cuisines. I absolutely love the depth of flavor and comfort of African food, the unique flavor pairings and technique driven aspect of Asian cuisine. Combining the two in this mixed culture dumpling is such a fun and versatile way to showcase both.”
What inspires you to cook and/or bake?
“For me, adventure and togetherness are what comes to mind when I think of cooking inspiration. I love to bring people together through cooking, explore new ingredients, and the entire process of creating, layering new flavors, and learning about different cultures through food is pure joy to me.”
What’s your favorite spice to cook with and why?
“This is a tricky one! I do not have a favorite spice I cook with because I try new things almost every other day. Eating the same thing more than twice in one week is a rarity in my home. Exploring new spices has become a hobby of mine but if I had to choose one spice that I use most of the time, roasted garlic powder would be it. It adds toasty, garlicky umami notes to any savory dish.”
Do you have anyone you look up to in the culinary world?
“Alton Brown is the man! I feel like we have similar food brains. Not only is he an amazing cook and teacher, he tells the story behind food, its origins and explains why we use certain techniques along with the scientific concepts behind cooking. These are all components I implement in my day-to-day cooking. I like to understand what I am doing and why I am doing it.”
Why are you passionate about cooking?
“Simply put, cooking makes me happy, it is NEVER tasking for me to cook/create. I enter a world where I make the rules. That allows me to bring all kinds of people together while I am at my best. We may not put much thought into this, but eating is one of the major things everyone has in common; we all eat and that alone is a great way for people to connect, share, and learn.”
Recipe - Kelly’s Beef Suya Dumplings
Ingredients:
2 cups or 16 oz. Ground Beef [80/20 works best]
1 tablespoon grated Ginger
1 teaspoon chopped Garlic
½ cup chopped Onion
½ cup chopped Scallion
3-4 tablespoons Suya Spice Mix
1 tablespoon Corn Starch
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke [optional]
1/4 cup reserved beef drippings
Dumpling Wrappers
Red Onion [for garnish]
Chili oil [for garnish]
Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add beef and cook, breaking it up until meat is slightly browned.
Add the ginger, garlic, & onion to the beef mixture & stir occasionally until onion is translucent.
Stir in 3 tablespoons of Suya spice mix to start, add the last tablespoon if needed.
Remove pan from the stove & drain the juices from the beef mixture through a sieve. Let mixture cool.
Save ½ cup of the drippings from the beef mixture.
Make a slurry with ¼ cup drippings, 1 tablespoon of corn starch & optional liquid smoke.
Add slurry and scallions to cooled beef. Mix by hand to form a cohesive mixture. Add more drippings if needed.
Fill each wrapper with about 1 tablespoon of beef filling, dip your fingers in water & run it along the edges of the wrapper to keep it closed.
Panfry dumplings in 3 tablespoons of oil until the bottoms are golden brown, cover saucepan & let cook for 1 more minute or steam dumplings in 1/3-1/2 water, cover saucepan with a lid & let dumplings steam on medium heat until the water evaporates.
Garnish with thinly sliced red onion, chili oil & a sprinkling of Suya mix.
ENJOY!