Kantun Ridi is the hausa name for sesame seed candy also known as beniseed candy. Up until a few years ago, I never even knew sesame seeds were a huge part of our cuisine in Nigeria. Being a food blogger, you get to discover all kinds of interesting things from conversations with friends.
I had asked my travel blogger fulani friend Aisha about Christmas dishes in her house and while she was listing items on the table, ridi came up. She said it was a must for christmas in addition to chin chin and a host of other yummy dishes. I inquired a little bit more and she said it was almost like a brittle but sometimes people made it a bit more chewy or crispy but that it was preferential. I decided to jazz mine up with a bit of cinnamon. For me, I always believe that if a recipe calls for A and B, if C works with it, I will throw it in as well. Obviously, you can add more flavors if you feel up to it.
For this recipe, I made a very small batch because i was just experimenting with the idea but feel free to double the recipe or halve it if you are unsure. This recipe makes about 8-10 small pieces of kantun ridi cookies.
Recipe for Kantun Ridi
Ingredients
1/2 cup of Sesame seeds
1/4 cup of Sugar
1 tablespoon of Honey
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon powder
Method
Wash sesame seeds and pan fry till dry and set aside.
In a separate pot, heat up your sugar, honey and cinnamon till thick.
Stir in your sesame seeds into the sugar mix.
With a spoon, scoop the sesame seeds onto a well oiled foil sheet or parchment paper
Allow it cool for a few seconds and mould into shapes with your hands.
Serve cool.
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