HOWTO PREPARE AFRICAN SALAD (ABACHA)

African salad popularly known as Abacha is an Eastern Nigeria dish made using dried shredded cassava, which can be eaten as a snack or a full meal. There are many variations to the way this salad is made. The more ingredients you add, the tastier the dish is. However, whichever way you choose to prepare it will still come out delicious.

Solet get down to business

INGREDIENTS
600g abacha
2 cups ugba (ukpaka)
1 cup palm oil
2 tablespoons Powdered Potash
Fish (Mackerel/Dry Fish/Stockfish), spiced and cooked
1 large Onion, chopped
Salt and dry pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons ground crayfish
2 stock cubes (Maggi/Knorr)
1 teaspoon ground Ehu seeds (Calabash Nutmeg)
Boiling water

Optional ingredients

1 teaspoon Ogiri / Iru
Fresh Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium),
Ponmo, cooked and sliced
6 Garden Eggs, diced
Garden Egg leaves, finely chopped
1 medium onion (for serving), sliced

PROCEDURE
Soak the abacha in cold water for about 10 minutes until it softens.
Drain out the cold water, pour boiling water over it and quickly drain out the water. Rinse the ugba/ukpaka in warm water and set aside.
Let it sit in a colander for about 5 minutes.
Dissolve the potash in water and sieve out the water, then stir the potash water with the palm oil in a pot. It will form a yellowish paste.
Place on heat and add the ground ehu, pepper, crayfish and seasoning.
Stir properly then add the ground ehu, crushed stock cubes, crayfish, diced onions, and ugba/ukpaka. Take off the heat.
Add the ogiri and mix properly, then add the fish and ponmo.
Add the abacha and mix properly allowing all the ingredients to blend.
Add sliced utazi and salt to taste.
Garnish with chopped garden egg leaves and sliced onions.

SERVING
You can eat abacha cold or warm depending on how you like it.

Feel free to play around with the ingredients until you get the perfect taste you desire.