I'm participating in the semi weekly prompt on hive learners community and I'll be writing on one of the traditional dish I like so much. I'm from Ibadan, Nigeria and I'm a foodie. I love my swallows(food in morsel form) with preference for Amala with Abula. The combination is very special and can't necessarily be separated. It is readily available and easy to make at home.
No yoruba party is complete without Amala and Abula.
The thought of it even makes me salivate....hmmmmmm
AMALA
It is the morsel part of the dish. Its one of the swallow commonly eaten in my tribe. An average Yoruba family does not go a day without this swallow food. It can be taken together with any local soup but in this case with Abula soup
Amala can be black or white but I prefer the black one because its lower in starch content compared to the white one.
Its a product of dried yam unlike the white one which is made from cassava. The yam is grided into powder and sieved into its finite form(Yam flour).
Its very easy to make because all that is needed is water.
The water is allowed to boiled and the yam flower is added to it gradually while the water is still boiling. This is followed by some turning using turning stick till its thoroughly mixed and solidified. Some water is then added again, allowed to be steamed further for few minutes and Amala is ready after the second turning.
ABULA
It is a combined name for two delicious soups served together. Ewedu and gbegiri.
It is a soup prepared from jute mallow leaf(Corchorus olitorius). It is a very slimy soup which makes it easy to eat morsels.
It is very rich in fiber, prostaglandins and potassium.
Ingredients
Basically, all that is needed to make this soup is water, some salt and Maggi. However, variety of add-ons can be included. These include blended melon, locust beans and all kinds of fish including crayfish.
Process
Measured quantity of water is boiled and the leaf is added to it after proper rinsing. It is then Allowed to cook for about 5-8mins till the leaf is soft. Other ingredients is then added at the same time including salt and Maggi. The whole combination is then blended and soup is ready. If blender is not available, a local clean shortened broom sticks(Ijabe) can be used.
Ewedu is not usually used alone to eat morsels. Commonly, pepper stew is used as support and gbegiri can be added in this case to make Abula.
It is the most delicious component of this dish. It is also the most technical to prepare. It is prepared from peeled brown beans and it is widely loved for its velvety and flavored nature.
Ingredients
Peeled brown beans
Palm oil
Pepper
Salt and other seasonings
Locust beans
Stock fish
Crayfish
Smoked fish
Process
The pealed beans is allowed to cook till the beans is very soft.
Some palm oil is added to it as this helps the beans to be very soaked.
The soaked beans is then blended to form a smooth solution and this is kept aside.
A fresh pot is placed on the cooker and palm oil will be put first. This I allowed to heat up before adding our semi blended pepper usually made of scotch bonnet pepper.
Salt and seasoning is then added followed by our locust beans and fishes. This is allowed to steam up for about 10mins.
Our blended cooked beans solution will then be added and allowed to cook for about 15mins and our soup is ready.
Benefits of Amala with Abula
- the ingredients are cheap and readily available
- Add-ons ingredients are not mandatory
- The dish combination is very delicious
- The composition is a very balanced diet containing all classes of food.
- Personally, it gives me satisfaction every time I eat it.
Food is ready, Come and eat.
Thank you for reading.