Recipes, Procedures For Making African Salad (Abacha)

Abacha popularly known as ‘African Salad’ is a dried shredded cassava in Igbo Language. It is a classic and very popular delicacy which originated from the Eastern part of Nigeria (Igbo). It is regarded as Nigeria’s special kind of salad.

This Online News Media understands that Abacha is one of the best Igbo traditional mouthwatering delicacies that is made with dried shredded cassava, ugba and palm oil sauce.

There is no traditional marriage, chieftaincy title, traditional events or special traditional gathering in Igbo land without serving Abacha. It can be served as a snack or as main course.

Abacha is very beautiful, delicious, healthy, nutritious and easy to prepare. In this article, VerseNews Nigeria will share the recipe in preparing this delicious African salad, full of natural nutrients.

MAIN INGREDIENTS

• 4 handfuls Abacha
• 2 cups ugba
• Salt (to taste)
• Fresh Pepper (to taste)
• 1 big bulb Onion
• 4 tbsp Crayfish
• Stock cubes (to taste)
• 2 tsp ground or 5 seeds Ehuru (Calabash nutmeg)

ABACHA SAUCE INGREDIENT

• 1 cup palm oil
• 2 tbsp potash (akanwu/kaun)

PROTEIN INGREDIENTS

• Fish ( of choice )
• Stockfish
• Kpomo (cowskin)

GARNISHING INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 6 pieces garden eggs
• Handful Garden egg leaves
• 1 bulb onion
• Fresh pepper (of choice)

SERVING INGREDIENTS

• Fry or smoked fish
• 1 medium sized Stockfish
• 1 large sized Kpomo

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp Ogiri fermented locust beans)

ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENTS

• Garden egg leaves or utazi leaves
• Potash or ngu or baking soda
• Ehuru powder or seeds
• Fresh pepper (of choice)
• Fish (of choice)

PREPARATION

• Wash and shred your garden egg leaves or utazi leaves.
• Slice the garden egg into big chunks.
• Clean the kpomo, cut to desired size, place in a pot, season it, steam it, drain off the water and set it aside.
• Slice the fresh peppers and set it aside.
• Peel, wash and slice the onions into rings and set it aside.
• If you are using iced fish, parboil the fish, then fry or grill it and set it aside. If you are using smoked fish, wash, debone and set it aside.
• Rinse the stockfish, season and cook until it is soft.
• Grind/pound the crayfish and set it aside, if only you are using it.
• Dissolve the potash in a bowl of water, about 4 tablespoons of water, stir and pass it through a sieve.

Note: Potash is what makes the palm oil curdle.

Note: You can use ngu to substitute the potash.

• Place the ehuru seeds in an empty dried pan and leave to heat up, while tossing, until you see them crack open. Crack and remove the outer shell of the ehuru seeds, then grind with a dry mill or pound it.

Note: You can buy the powder ehuru, without going through this stress.

• Wash the ugba with clean water and soak it in warm water for few minutes, then rinse before setting it aside.

PROCEDURE FOR MAKING THE ABACHA

Abacha making is in 3 parts:

1. Softening the abacha.
2. Preparing the abacha sauce and combining the ingredients.
3. Garnishing the abacha.

PART 1

SOFTENING THE ABACHA

• Step 1(a): Soak the abacha with warm water for 10 to 20 minutes or until it is soft.

Note: Don’t use cold water to soften the abacha or you will not get what you want.

Note: Don’t use hot water to soak the abacha or it will mash, but rather use warm water.

Note: Make sure the water covers the abacha when soaking it.

• Step 1(b): Once the abacha is soft, put it in a sieve to drain out the water.

PART 2

PREPARING THE ABACHA SAUCE COMBINING THE INGREDIENTS

• Step 2(a): Pour your palm oil in a dry empty pot and also pour in the potash liquid or ngu. Stir as you pour in the potash liquid continuously, until the colour of the palm oil changes from red to yellow colour. The palm oil will start to curdle and turn yellow.

Note: Too much of the potash can cause stomach upset, so be mindful of the quantity you use.

• Step 2(b): Then add in the stock cubes, crayfish, ehuru powder, onions, peppers, ogiri, salt and stir well.

• Step 2(c): Then add in the softened abacha and stir, until it is well combined.

• Step 2(d): Then gently add in the ugba and stir to combine.

• Step 2(e): Place the pot on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Heat until the Abacha is hot, stirring all the time to make sure it does not burn and turn off the heat.

Note: The purpose of this step is to make the Abacha hot, but the Abacha can be done without heating it on fire.

Note: Don’t over heat it, so that your palm oil don’t melt.

PART 3

GARNISHING AND SERVING THE ABACHA

Step 3(a): Then garnish the Abacha with the following ingredients:

• Garden egg slices
• Shredded Garden egg leaves or utazi leaves.
• Onion rings
• Slice peppers
• Step 3(b): Then served the abacha with the following ingredients:
• Fried/grilled/smoked fish
• Stockfish
• Kpomo