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Fataya is Senegalese street food. They are really popular because they are very cheap, can be found everywhere, and are pretty tasty too.
What is Fataya?
Fataya is a deep-fried pastry, filled with chicken or fish Yassa, french fries, and fried egg.
A combination of ketchup and hot sauce is poured over the top, creating a unique experience every time you take a bite.
They are popular street food all over Senegal; women make and sell them at a small table on the side of the road.
Fataya Recipe
First, I’ll focus on the part of the filling that might be unfamiliar. Yassa sauce is fantastic just by itself.
It’s made with onions, peanut oil, lemon juice, peppers, garlic, and Dijon mustard. I dare say it’s the perfect marinade. Sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy.
If you aren’t sure if you’ll like this recipe, try just the chicken Yassa by itself. It’s wildly popular throughout Africa!
For the fataya, the Yassa is the base of the filling. The french fries and eggs provide some extra fat and richness that the chicken is missing. Some use fish instead of chicken in their filling.
Traditionally, the people of Senegal marinate the chicken overnight. I think you can get away with 3 hours, but not less.
When it is ready, it is served accompanied by a spicy tomato sauce. Below is the step-by-step recipe. Be sure to try it out!
Some suggestions for Amazon links to “Nutiva Organic Shortening, Original(Pastry Dough)”.
Senegalese Fataya (Fish Pie)
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 cups flour plus more for dusting
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup of water
Fish filling:
- Vegetable oil for sauteing
- 1 lb flounder or any fish of your preference
- 1 can of drained tuna
- 1 bunch chopped of fresh parsley leaves
- 2 sliced habanero peppers
- ½ diced onion
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 can tomato paste 6 oz
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Adobo optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Begin by boiling your flounder for about 20-30 minutes in a pot. This will cook as you prepare your pie dough.
- Add 2 cups of flour, salt and sugar to a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
- While mixing the dry ingredients, add one egg at a time, then your vegetable oil. Be sure to take your time mixing and starting to knead your dough. Now add 1 cup of flour to the mixture and continue mixing.
- Add the ½ cup of water to your mix or enough until dough becomes thick and dry enough to knead thoroughly (similar to a pizza dough). You can add additional flour to a board and knead dough on the board, adding additional flour as needed. Knead for 4-5 minutes. Store dough in a bowl, and cover with saran wrap or kitchen towel and set aside.
- Once your flounder has boiled, drain the water and begin gently mashing the flounder with a fork into small pieces and set aside.
- In a large pan, begin heating oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot enough add onions, and habaneros and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic to pan and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and stir and cook for 4-5 minutes in pan until the paste has softened/cook into the oil. Add ½ cup of water to the pan. Add salt (to your taste preference), black pepper, Adobo (optional), and garlic powder to mixture. Cook and stir in intervals for 4-5 minutes.
- Add flounder, tuna and parsley to your mixture. Cook for 10 minutes or after all ingredients have been fully incorporated. Set aside to cool.
- Unwrap the rested dough and roll it out on a surface until ⅛ of an inch (3 mm) in thickness. Roll out further if needed. Using a jar lid, or cup (or any circular item), cut out circles of the dough to set aside. Remove the excess and re-roll it to cut out more dough circles.
- Take a dough circle and place about a teaspoon of filling into the center of the circle, leaving a bit of room around the edges.
- Dip your finger or pastry brush in water and brush all edges of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling to meet the opposite end and press the dough ends together to form a half-moon shape. Firmly press down the two edges to become one, and decorate the new crust with the prongs of a fork. Make sure the pastry is completely sealed.
- Preheat fryer oil in a large pot on medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, place the fataya’s into the heated deep fryer, one at a time, for about 4-5 minutes or until they puff up and the outside turns golden brown. Remove from the fryer and let them drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
- Enjoy!
