Hi everyone! Away from my normal blog. Let's talk Food.
As some of you already know I am an Igbo from the Eastern part of Nigeria and the Christmas season is a very special one us. This is a period for so many ceremonies, like wedding anniversaries, new marriages, celebration of life, showing off wealth, etc. And one of the most cherished food for these occasions is Abacha.
Abacha also known as African salad is a very special food to the southeastern Igbos of Nigeria. It is made from cassava.
How to make Abacha
After you have harvested your cassava from the farm or gotten it from the local market, you'll boil it in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain the water, leave the cassava until it is lukewarm before you start grating it. They use a special grater for the Abacha because it is better to have it thin and long.
After grating, you'll soak it in water and leave it for at least 12 hours, then you wash it and sun-dry. Your Abacha is now ready to be prepared for eating.
There are different methods to prepare Abacha. It is just like preparing rice, you can choose any method you want.
Some of the key ingredients used for preparing Abacha
Palm oil
Salt
Black pepper
Fresh pepper
Roasted dried pepper
Vegetables
Onion
Crayfish
Seasonings
Meat from Cow head (nkwobi) or Fish.
Traditional spices
How to prepare
Like I said previously, there are several ways to prepare it, but this is my own favourite method.
When you bring your dried Abacha, soak it in lukewarm water and leave it there for at least 5 minutes, then you strain the water off. leave it in the sieve for more 30 minutes, this helps the wet Abacha to get softer without taking in much water.
Bring a large bowl, pour your palm oil into it, add the oil thickener, stir well until the oil gets thick, then you add salt, seasoning, stock from the cow head, pepper, ground crayfish and the traditional spices. Use a big spoon to mix very well, then add your soaked Abacha to it, stir again to mix up everything. Dish it out and decorate with onion, Meat from Cow head, fish and other vegetables.... Yummy!!!! your Abacha is ready to be served.
Abacha is best served traditionally with Fresh Palm wine.
