3 handfuls abacha (shredded dried cassava)
2 cups ugba (ukpaka)
30 cl red palm oil
2 tablespoons powdered edible potash (food tenderizer)
2 teaspoons ground Ehu seeds (Calabash Nutmeg)
Habanero pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons ground crayfish
2 stock cubes (preferably Knorr brand), crushed
2 onions, diced
Ogiri (castor seed paste)
Other meat and vegetables for the Abacha
Fish (mackerel/dryfish/stockfish)
Ponmo/kanda (cow skin)
3 fresh utazi leaves
Salt, to taste
Garden eggs (white eggplant)
Garden egg leaves
Soak the shredded abacha in cold water for 10 minutes until it softens. Pour boiling water over it and drain.
10 minutes
Rinse the ugba with warm water.
Dissolve the potash in water and sieve out any residual solids.
Stir the potash water with the palm oil in a pot until it forms a yellowish paste. Place on the heat, and stir in the ground ehu, pepper, crayfish, and seasoning.
Stir in the crushed stock cubes, diced onions, and ugba. Take off the heat.
Mix in the ogiri, then add meat and fish if using.
Mix in the abacha, allowing the ingredients to blend.
Add sliced utazi and salt to taste.
Garnish with chopped garden egg leaves and sliced onions.
- •Abacha is made by boiling and grating/shredding cassava tubers.
- •Ukpaka or ugba is shredded oil bean seeds. It is optional, and if not added it won't affect the end result.
- •Red palm oil must be used when preparing abacha.
- •If garden egg leaves are not available, baby spinach leaves are a good alternative.
- •At least one type of fish must be used in preparing abacha. You can use stockfish, dryfish (e.g. catfish, mangala), fried mackerel, and/or smoked fish.
- •Crayfish much be added.
- •Pepper must be used—you can either add habanero pepper (recommended) or dry cayenne pepper. Habanero pepper is atarodo, atarugu or ose oyibo. Black pepper is not a good fit for abacha.
- •Add ogiri for the classic traditional taste, but if not available you should add stock cubes.
- •Edible potash (akanwu, kaun, keun) is what makes palm oil curdle and it is a must. If you do not have it or you do not want to eat edible potash, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) has similar properties.
- •Be careful when adding salt, since the dish contains lots of ingredients that already have salt (stockfish, stock cubes, crayfish, etc).