Abacha aka African Salad is something i can eat every day of the week! I'm from Ohafia in Abia State and we make our salad with mainly okazi but growing and moving and mixing with other igbo friends introduced me to abacha and to ugba so now i mix all 3 and make the most beautiful African Salad and it takes less than 10 minutes to throw together.
Ps. I'm going to need my friends to help out with the English names for some of these ingredients.
Abacha
Sliced okazi
Ugba
Dried Fish
Softened stockfish
Garden egg (optional)
Palm oil
Pepper
Salt
Efura/Ehure (sp)
Akanwu (pottash)
Crayfish
Ponmo (optional)
Anara leaves
Soften your abacha in a bowl of water, drain and set aside. Clean your ponmo properly and cook till soft and cut into little pieces. Soak your akanwu ( the little porous rock looking thing on the plate with the ugba) in a little water (i'll say a quarter cup, depending on how much salad you are making).
On an open flame, roast your efura (its the lone little kidney bean shaped seed on the plate with the ugba), i did mine on my gas burner. When the outside is blackened (but not burnt) and you can smell it, take it off the heat. Allow it cool and peel off the outer shell, toss it in your mortar (yes, to make an authentic african salad you'll need a mortar and pestle), add your crayfish and (fresh pepper if that's your choice) and pound together.
Pour in your palm oil, throw in your fish, stockfish, ponmo, salt and mix it all together. Take the akanwu out of the cup and put it away for future use, pour the greyish liquid into the mortar and watch it turn the oil to a yellow-orange colour with a thicker consistency. Take it easy though cos too much of this is the most potent laxative known to man!
Mix it all together and add the abacha, ugba, okazi and chopped garden egg. Taste for seasoning.
Garnish with chopped onions and anara leaves.
Ps. Add your onion just when your about to eat because if it stays in the abacha for long somehow it turns it watery.
Wash it down with a glass of palm wine.
Cheers!
:)
Too Gbasky!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLol. I knew you would like it.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, i never tire to be your official "taster" and i considered this a treat and a half. I looooove abacha and you didnt disappoint.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work babe....
Pls is ok for a pregnant woman to eat that
ReplyDeleteYes, just easy on the akanwu because too much of it can give u a case of the runs. Try it out and let me know what you think please.
ReplyDelete:)