Fried Bread and Wojapi
Image sources:
https://thegingeredwhisk.com/wojapi-sauce/
https://www.thespruceeats.com/native-american-fry-bread-4045432
Wojapi
Ingredients:
3 C. berries
3/4 C. sugar
2 1/4 C. water
3 T. cornstarch
Crush the berries but do not puree.
Mix berries with 1 1⁄2 C. of water. Bring to a boil, stirring
occasionally.
Lower to a simmer.
Add the sugar and mix.
Mix the cornstarch with 3/4 C. water.
Add to the berry sauce.
Cook about 4-5 minutes or until thickened.
Stir constantly.
Servings: 12 servings (1/4 C.)
Tribe: Dakota
Note: Commonly served warm with fry bread. Traditionally suet
was added.
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 76 Total fat: 0 g
Carbohydrate: 19 g Saturated fat: 0 g
Protein: 0 g Polyunsaturated fat: 0 g
Sodium: 3 mg Cholesterol:
Fried Bread
Ingredients:
4 C. flour
2 T. powdered milk
1 T. baking powder
1 1⁄2 C. warm water
1 tsp. salt lard or shortening
Add baking powder, powdered milk and salt to the flour. Mix
together. Add the water to form dough. Knead dough until soft but
not sticky. Cover with a cloth and allow to stand for about 15
minutes.
Shape dough into 20 balls then flatten and stretching the dough with the hands and fingers until the dough is flat and round or it may be rolled out with a rolling pin.
Melt the shortening about 1 inch deep in a frying pan. Fry the dough on one side until golden brown, then turn and finish frying.
Servings: 16
Tribe: The Navajo Nation
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 173 Total fat: 7 g
Carbohydrate: 24 g. Saturated fat: 3 g
Protein: 3 g. Polyunsaturated fat: 3 g
Sodium: 241 mg. Cholesterol: 0 mg.
Recipes available at Janice Goodwin, et. al., Healthy Traditions: Recipes of Ancestors https://drive.google.com/a/moravian.edu/file/d/0BwY8NewY-jR4SHVFdDl4MWJuV0E/view?usp=sharing
Equipment
Measuring cups
Pot
Mixing spoon
Colman stove
Measuring spoons
Rolling pin
Cloth for fried bread
Frying pan
Plastic or paper bowls for the fried bread and wojapi to be served in\
A spatula to flip the bread, plastic forks.
Anachronisms
For the Wojapi- berries, sugar, and cornstarch. For the fried bread- baking powder, powdered milk, and salt. These ingredients were not available entirely or seasonally to the Natives. Another anachronism are the pans and Coleman stove. These were not available for the Natives either, instead they built their own fire and cooked over the open fire.
Who ate fried bread and Wojapi?
Fried bread is credited to being originally from The Navajo Nation. They lived in the southwest, in or near what is currently called Arizona. This dish can be sweetened with many other ingredients, like honey or what we were also going to make, Wojapi. These were traditionally served together, but wojapi is said to be from the Dakota tribe, according to the Hopi recipe book. This traditionally consisted of crushed chokeberries and flour, and mixed to resemble a paste or pudding.
Julia S, Bhaveraj P, Brandon B, Alyssa D, Austin S, Ahmed Al H, Madilyn W, Claresse S