Abacha Ncha Or African salad as it’s known is a traditional meal which originates from the eastern part of Nigeria. No feast, festival or gathering is complete without this wonderful delicacy especially when its served with Fresh palm wine from the best palm wine taper…..My mouth is watering already :). Abacha is prepared from cassava which is boiled till it softens then shredded. The shredded cassava is then soaked overnight in cold water, washed thoroughly and then spread out in the sun to dry.
Ingredients
*3 cups Palm oil
*4 pieces Fresh fish (fried)
*2 stock Seasoning (Maggi/Knorr)
*1 teaspoon ground Ehu seeds (Calabash Nutmeg)
*Dry Pepper, ground
*4 Garden eggs
*Ogiri
1 tsp. potash “Akaun”
*3 Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium)
*Garden egg leaves
*Pomo / Kanda (cow skin)
*2 large Red Onions
*4 Handfuls Abacha
*1 wrap Ugba (Ukpaka)
*3 cups Palm oil
*4 pieces Fresh fish (fried)
*2 stock Seasoning (Maggi/Knorr)
*1 teaspoon ground Ehu seeds (Calabash Nutmeg)
*Dry Pepper, ground
*4 Garden eggs
*Ogiri
1 tsp. potash “Akaun”
*3 Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium)
*Garden egg leaves
*Pomo / Kanda (cow skin)
*2 large Red Onions
*4 Handfuls Abacha
*1 wrap Ugba (Ukpaka)
Procedure
1. Soak the Abacha in a bowl of warm water for about 30 mins till soft then drain
2. If you want to use Kanda, Season and cook till soft then cut into small cubes
3. Chop the vegetables, wash the whole garden eggs and Dice one of the onions then set aside
4. Cut the other bulb of onion in ringlike circles
5. Place the potash in a cup or bowl and pour about 1 cup of warm water. Stir well and you are -ready to start making the African Salad.
6. In a pot, pour in your palm oil and the potash mixture making sure you don’t pour in the potash -residue along with it.
7. Stir consistently till the palmoil and potash mixture turns into a yellow paste
8. Add the ground ehu,Seasoning, Ground pepper,diced onions, Crayfish and ugba (ukpaka), then stir very well till the mixture is well incorporated.
9. Add the Iru/ogiri and Diced kpomo and stir well
10. Finally, gently add your soaked abacha into the mixture making sure you incorporate the whole mixture together and you are done!
11. If you like your abacha warm like i do, you can heat it up a little on a burner
12. Garnish with the sliced Utazi(Its quite bitter so i’d advice you use sparingly), Garden egg leaves, Onion rings,Fish and Garden eggs
13. Serve with a Cup of palm-wine for that breath taking feel 😉
1. Soak the Abacha in a bowl of warm water for about 30 mins till soft then drain
2. If you want to use Kanda, Season and cook till soft then cut into small cubes
3. Chop the vegetables, wash the whole garden eggs and Dice one of the onions then set aside
4. Cut the other bulb of onion in ringlike circles
5. Place the potash in a cup or bowl and pour about 1 cup of warm water. Stir well and you are -ready to start making the African Salad.
6. In a pot, pour in your palm oil and the potash mixture making sure you don’t pour in the potash -residue along with it.
7. Stir consistently till the palmoil and potash mixture turns into a yellow paste
8. Add the ground ehu,Seasoning, Ground pepper,diced onions, Crayfish and ugba (ukpaka), then stir very well till the mixture is well incorporated.
9. Add the Iru/ogiri and Diced kpomo and stir well
10. Finally, gently add your soaked abacha into the mixture making sure you incorporate the whole mixture together and you are done!
11. If you like your abacha warm like i do, you can heat it up a little on a burner
12. Garnish with the sliced Utazi(Its quite bitter so i’d advice you use sparingly), Garden egg leaves, Onion rings,Fish and Garden eggs
13. Serve with a Cup of palm-wine for that breath taking feel 😉
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30 comments
i love abacha…chei! i miss naija oooo!!!! keep up the good work dobby
Thx for takin to corrections..n ur doin a great job but u r not consistent enof.I come to ur blog everyday hopin to c a new food I can try out but nothin.somtyms its disappointin…
Thanks Anon02:24
Thanks for your advice on making sure to include local names to the ingredients to aid easy identification in the market.I really do appreciate your comments.Also,I'd make sure I post consistently :)….Thanks
Remагkable issues heгe.
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peer your аrtісle. Thanks a lot аnd I'm taking a look forward to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
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This is my best food right here! I just love abacha or just ugba wit kpomo or okporoko. If you want to get me, just gimme a delicoius plate of abacha, and i'll do anything you want! *cheeky grin* Biko, Dobby, do you take these pics by yourself? if yes, which camera do you use?
Hahahaha!!!! Dats Hardcore Native…Just like me ;).I do take d pics myself with a Fujifilm Digital Camera. Its actually a point and shoot Cam.
Thanks to fantastic menu. I managed to get and it also felt amazing: -)
I have a website together with wedding cake dishes me personally should you be fascinated. You can find it at http://recipes-for-food.com/
I love Abacha!
it is a sure delight! Thanks stelzz…
sure thing!
Even if this post is 10years old I know I must comment. My father initiated(yes he did,lol) to this delicacy at a very tender age and I have not been delivered.
During college days, I ate 3plates of Abacha/day and trek a distance for cheap ride back home coz my tfare was always shortened.
Mom brought 50kg bag filled with dried Abacha and cans upon cans of condiments especially Ogiri when she came for pre-omugwo visit. It's now 2months and I still have some ogiri tightly canned in my fridge.
I have initiated everyone around me into eating abacha since I got married. Hubby is now a die-hard fan, infact whenever I want him to leave office early I make a fast one and send him the pix and in 20 minutes the door is open.
Oh Abacha, how I can sing of my great likeness for thee
Your hubby is definitely a lucky man :). It sure is really addictive.
Just browsing tru recipes cos I wnt to try it. I'm frm delta but my hubby is frm enugu so am trying to add some home food for him and to try it too. Hope it turns out wonderful.
Hi dobby I'm soooooo craving 4 abacha,is it possible 2 make it without postash????
Hello Anon! No you cannot make Abacha Ncha Without potash. In-fact, potash()is what is needed to change the palm oil from the normal colour to the light colour Abacha usually has. Also, it gives the abacha a unique flavour.
it sure will :)…Thanks Anon.
Hi Dobby,pls what quantity of potash is needed? As u didn't add it in the list of ingredients. And thanks a million for what you're doing here. May God bless and bless u!
A teaspoon of potash (Akaun) teaspoon would do just fine. God bless you too anon.
Dobby there is what we call "ngu" not very sure what my grandma makes it from, but we use it for ukwa and abacha instead of akanwu. I prefer the akanwu taste though. But Anon 10:21 wants an alternative.
Hi Dob-star, yes I've reached posts of yrs ago. That's how addicted I am to your blog.
Pls create a search and find option; it'll be easier to find desired recipes.
Coming to Abacha, ppl bring bags upon bags of it for me when they travel, but, I've never managed to prepare it for a day. Thanks to this recipe, one of these days, I will, and I pray it turns out great. Thanks and remain blessed and keep up the good, selfless work.
Hi Angie, You could reach older posts easily by clicking on the "Recipe Index" above. You're welcome, do keep us posted.
I Miss this Meal…
i can imagine 🙂
Thanks Dobby for this your wonderful blog has been of great help to me, I made Abacha Ncha from the recipe above and it turned out great, everyone ate to their satisfaction.God bless you and keep up the good work.
God bless you too royalfloxy. Thanks for the feedback.
Hello, please I have an issue, I once made abacha i used baking soda instead of potash as i was informed potash is not healthy and after some time while it was cooling it turned dark. Almost green like vegetable. What could be the cause of this? Is it because I used baking soda? This is not the first time I am making it but the previous times I used potash not baking soda and it did not turn dark
Baking soda works pretty well. Maybe you added alot to it. i use soda alot here in germany since we don't have kaun and it works very well.
Wow that wwas odd. I just wrote an really long comment but after I
clicked submit my comment didn't appear. Grrrr… well I'm not
writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
Lol! Comments take time to appear :). Glad to have you here Anon.