“By Their Foods, Ye Shall Know Them”

Nigeria is blessed with diverse cultures, styles, food, you name it. As our cultures are, so are our delicacies, and nothing best describes these delicacies like “By their food, ye shall know them”.

South East

Abacha. Photo Agathas_cuisine

ABACHA (Without Potash)

INGREDIENTS

• Grated cassava
• Ground Ehuru (African nutmeg)
• Onion
• Ground red pepper
• Red oil
• Seasoning cubes
• Salt
• Ugba
• Ground crayfish
• Utazi leaves

METHOD
Soak your desired Abacha in hot water for 7 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water then set aside.
In a non-stick frying pan, pour a spoonful of palm oil and set on low heat. Add the onion, ehuru, crayfish, pepper and seasoning cubes, salt and stir.
Pour in the Abacha and mix thoroughly. Then add your desired quantity of Ugba.
Taste and add a little salt if necessary.
Add your chopped utazi leaves and stir.
Enjoy with your choice of drink and fried fish.

South West

Ewa Agoyin. Photo Dooney’s Kitchen

EWA AGOYIN

INGREDIENTS

• Red or white beans
• Onion
• Palm oil
• Seasoning cubes
• Salt
• Blended fish
• Bell pepper and dried chilli pepper
• Grated ginger

METHOD
Set a pot of water on fire and boil on high heat.
Add the beans and reduce the heat to a minimum and allow cooking for 2 hours or more.
Mash up and add salt to taste, then set aside.
In a bowl, pour hot water, then add the dried peppers and cover for it to get soft.
In a blender, pour the bell pepper and soaked pepper and bled with a little water to a puree. Drain the puree to remove excess water.
Set a pot on medium heat, add palm oil and allow heating up. Add the chopped onion and stir for 20 minutes at interval until the onion is black (but not burnt)
Add the ginger, pepper, crayfish, seasoning cubes and salt and stir. Cover and leave to fry for 20 minutes until the sauce is darkened.
In a plate, pour a spoonful of beans and add sauce on top.
Enjoy with bread and your choice of drink.

Middle Belt

ESA SOUP

Eka soup. Photo The Pretend Chef

INGREDIENTS

• Assorted meat
• Stock fish
• Dried fish
• 2 cup sesame seeds
• 3 tbsps palm oil
• 1 large onion
• ½ cup crayfish
• Okpei
• 3 scotch pepper (blended)
• ½ cup bitter leaf (chopped)
• 1 bunch green (chopped)

METHOD
In a pot of water, put the meat, stockfish, salt, seasoning cubes, onion and water and allow boiling until tender. Wash the dried fish and set it aside.
Toast the sesame seed until a little brown, allow cooling and blend into a powdered form.
In another pot, pour palm oil and heat up for 2 minutes then add the onion and fry. Add the powdered seeds and fry. Keep stirring.
Add the meat stock, pepper, crayfish and okpei and cook for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time. Then add the meat, stockfish, dried fish and stir. Then add the bitter leaf and allow simmering on low heat for 5 minutes.
Add the green, stir and allow simmering for 2 minutes.
Enjoy with your favourite swallow.

North West

Miyan Gida and Tuwo Shinkafa. Photo Kris Kirkham

MIYAN GEDA

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of ground groundnut
• Assorted meat
• Dried fish
• 2 tbsp ground crayfish
• 1 onion bulb
• 1 ½ cup locust beans
• 3 seasoning cubes
• Salt
• 2 tbsp palm oil
• Blended tomatoes and scotch pepper
• Spinach

METHOD
Boil your meat on medium heat for 15 minutes with seasoning cubes and salt. Add the palm oil and cook.
Add the dried fish, pepper and tomatoes, onions and locust beans and stir properly. Leave to cook for 10 minutes.
Add the ground groundnut and cook for 4 minutes. Add the vegetables and allow simmering for 2 minutes.
Serve with Tuwo or your choice of swallow.

South South

Fisherman’s soup. Photo Dooney’s Kitchen

FISHERMAN’S SOUP

INGREDIENTS

• Crabs
• Shrimps
• Fresh fish
• Periwinkles
• Dried prawns
• Utazi leaves
• Ngolo
• Scotch peppers (blended)
• Cocoyam powder
• Palm oil
• Seasoning cubes
• Salt

METHOD
In a pot, boil the crabs with a little salt, add the Ngolo and cook for 7 minutes. Add the prawns and fresh fish, and seasoning cubes and cook for 10 minutes (remove the fresh fish to prevent it from scattering).
Add a little water then the periwinkles, pepper and palm oil and cover to cook for 10 minutes. Then add the cocoyam powder and allow cooking. (Pour the cocoyam inside a small bowl of water and stir until thickened).
Put the fresh fish, shrimps and Uziza leaves and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
Serve with your choice of swallow.