Abacha is a specialty of the igbo tribe in Nigeria. Similar to other salads, it’s typically served as an appetizer to whet the appetite before the main part of the meal.
Abacha is made from cassava. After being fully boiled, the cassava tubers are diced using a specialized grater. The cassava slices are then properly washed, bathed in cold water for an entire night, and dried in the sun.
Without Ugba, your African salad won’t be complete. Oil bean seeds are used to make ukpaka, often referred to as ugba. These seeds are boiled for many hours before being cut into slices, cleaned, and given some time to ferment.
Abacha is typically garnished and served with raw onion rings, dry or fried fish, pomo, garden eggs, and utazi, a somewhat bitter leaf. The more components you add to an African salad, the better and more “complete” it will be.
INGRIDIENTS
Abacha
Ugba
Palm oil
Potash
Dry Fish
Stockfish
Onion
Salt
Dry pepper
Ground crayfish
Seasoning cubes
Ground Ehu seeds (Calabash Nutmeg)
Ogiri / Iru
Fresh Utazi leaves
Ponmo (cow skin)
Garden Eggs
COOKING DIRECTIONS
Put the potash in a small bowl and add some warm water to it. Stir thoroughly and keep this.
Place the dried Abacha in a medium-sized basin, pour the hot water. For around 20 minutes, leave to soak in a bowl of water. This aids in both softening and growing it. When it is sufficiently soft, allow it to drain in a sieve.
Use an iron sponge to thoroughly clean the insides of the ponmo. Scrape the outside part with a knife that is sharp, and then rinse.
Place it in a kettle of water after cutting it into smaller pieces. After adding salt to taste, let the water boil for about 10 minutes. After draining the water, set it aside.
Clean the Ugba, Wash and mince the utazi leaves, Slice the onion rings, wash the garden eggs, and chop them how you like.
Pour the palm oil into a pot. Add the potash and make sure not to pour in the residue when adding the potash mixture through a sieve. Stir continuously until a yellow paste forms when palm oil and potash are combined.
Add salt to taste, crushed seasoning, ugba (ukpaka), dry pepper, pomo, crayfish, and ground ehu and stir thoroughly.
The drained abacha should then be carefully added to the mixture and well combined. The Abacha is ready for garnishing and serving.
You can warm up your abacha a little on a burner if you prefer it warm, as some people do.
Use only a small amount of the sliced utazi as a garnish because it is rather bitter. Also use dry fish, onion rings, and garden egg for garnishing.
