HOW TO MAKE AFRICAN SALAD (ABACHA)

You can either snack on Abacha or have it as a full meal. I prefer to snack on it though, but I love everything about the African salad. If you love Abacha, follow me as I show you how to prepare Abacha (African salad)

African salad is a special traditional delicacy eaten majorly in the eastern parts of Nigeria. It is made from dried, stripped cassava, which can be eaten as a side or main dish. It is rich in protein, helps in improving eyesight, and prevents constipation. Most of the ingredients listed might be difficult to get outside Nigeria, and might even be a little hard to get when you live in some non-eastern parts of Nigeria. However, in local markets just ask around for people who sell it. In this article, I will show you how to prepare Abacha here.

INGREDIENTS

• Abacha
• Ugba (fermented African OIlbean seeds) or ukpaka (African Oil bean seed)
• Palm oil
• Potash
• Fish, spiced and cooked
• Ponmo
• Onion
• Garden eggs
• Salt 
• Dry pepper 
• Crayfish
• Seasoning cubes
• Ehu seeds (Calabash nutmeg)
• Ogiri or iru
• Fresh utazi leaves

MAKING YOUR NIGERIAN SALAD

• Soak the Abacha in cold water for 10 minutes until it softens, then pour boiling water over it and drain.
• Parboil your meat and fish.
• Rinse the Ugba with warm water.
• Water should be dissolved in potash and strained out. Mix the potash water with palm oil in a pot until it forms a yellow paste.
• Add the crayfish, pepper, and ground ehu and place on high heat until the crayfish is done.
• Crush the stock cubes and add it in as well as the onions and ugba then stir. Take off the heat.
• Add the Ogiri and mix, then add meat and fish.
• Add the Abacha and mix, allowing the ingredients to blend.
• Add sliced utazi and salt to taste.
• Sprinkle chopped onion slices and garden egg leaves on top.

Abacha is enjoyed alone and sometimes taken with palmwine, other traditional Nigerian Foods you can enjoy include Semovita can be eaten with Efo Riro, as well as Egusi soup, Nkwobi, Ogbono soup, Banga soup, Bitterleaf soup, Edikang Ikong Soup, Nsala Soup (Ofe Nsala), Afang Soup, apart from Amala, there are other traditional side foods you can try like Pounded yam, and Amala.