There's only one kind of salad that i'll never complain about eating, heck, i'll gladly go on an African Salad diet and you won't hear a squeak for me.
It is a delicious Igbo delicacy that's very easy to throw together and doesn't require a lot of ingredients. Here's how;
2 Cups Abacha (Shredded Dried Cassava)
1 Cup Ugba (Shredded Oil Bean Seed)
Sliced Okazi (optional)
1 Teaspoon Dried Efura/Ehuru
1/2 Cup Palm Oil
Sliced Onion
2 Heaped Tablespoon Crayfish
Pottash (Akanwu)
Cooked Ponmo (Optional)
Dried Shrimps (Optional)
Utazi Leaf (optional)
Pepper
Salt and 1 Seasoning Cube
Yes, traditional Abacha doesn't have okazi anywhere in the recipe, but i'm from Ohafia in Abia State, and I have my okazi variation of the typical Abacha recipe, so i just throw it all together. Feel free to leave it out if you like.
This recipe makes 2 portions.
For those of you who have never made Abacha before, Abacha is really hard and brittle so the first step would be to soften it.
Submerge abacha in hot water water in a bowl and set aside.
In another bowl pour palm oil. Dissolve 1.5 tablespoons of akanwu with 1/4 cup of water. If your akanwu is in solid form and not powder, add a little extra water and allow it to dissolve.
Add the akanwu water to the palm oil until the oil thickens and turns to a lighter shade of orange. Be careful with how much akanwu you add especially if you have plans for later, it is a known laxative.
Add salt, pepper, crayfish, seasoning cube and efura and mix properly. If your using ponmo and/or dried shrimps, add it now as well. It is always easy to season your oil and get a proper distribution than to do it afterwards.
After the abacha has been soaking for about 10 minutes, it should have softened properly. You will notice that it has become slightly transparent, pliable and when you bite it, it'll just have just a little bit of resistance. You certainly won't be able to snap and break it like you would have been able to prior to soaking it.
Add drained abacha, ugba and okazi into the oil.
Mix properly until fully coated. Taste for seasoning.
Serve with fried or smoked fish and fresh sliced onions and enjoy!
The only thing missing was a tall glass of cold palm wine...
Updated this post with Abacha without okazi in it, ponmo and dreid shrimps added to the sauce and topped with a little utazi. Utazi is bitter, so don't overdo it.
Same delciousness! What do you add to yours?
