Women
OUR MENU Igbo Abacha (Full Option)
With Abacha, the more ingredients you use, the tastier and more “complete” it will be. So use as many as you can lay your hands on.
3 handfuls abacha
2 cups ugba (ukpaka)
30 cl red palm oil
2 tablespoons Powdered Potash (food tenderizer)
Fish | Mackerel/Dry Fish/Stockfish
2 onions
Salt and habanero pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons ground crayfish
2 stock cubes (Knorr)
2 teaspoons ground Ehu seeds (Calabash Nutmeg)
Garden Eggs.
Garden Egg leaves
Ogiri Igbo (castor seed paste)
Other meat and vegetables for the Abacha
3 Fresh Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium)
Ponmo / Kanda (cow skin)
Notes on the ingredients:
1. Abacha is the main ingredient. Abacha is made by boiling and grating/shredding cassava tubers. Click here to see how to make abacha.
2. Ukpaka or Ugba is shredded oil bean seeds. It is compulsory for me but if you do not have it, you can skip it.
3. Red Palm Oil must be used when preparing abacha. Other oils are not acceptable.
4. You must add a green leafy vegetable. Garden Egg leaves are used for abacha. If you do not have it, use leafy spinach especially the baby ones. Very good alternative.
5. At least one type of fish must be used. For abacha you can use stockfish (dry cod), dry fish (dry cat fish, mangala), fried mackerel (fried titus) and smoked fish.
6. Crayfish much be used, click here to see how to prepare crayfish (for those outside Nigeria).
7. Pepper must be used and you can either add habanero pepper (recommended) or dry cayenne pepper. Habanero pepper is atarodo, atarugu or ose oyibo. Black pepper is not a good fit for abacha.
8. Add ogiri Igbo for the classic traditional taste but if you do not have it, add stock cubes. One of these must be used unless you are really really allergic to both.
9. Add garden egg. It is great in abacha but not compulsory.
10. Edible potash: akanwu, kaun, keun is what makes palm oil curdle and it is a must. If you do not have it or you do not want to eat edible potash, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) has similar properties. Click here for more information.
Before you Make Abacha
All the work of making Abacha goes to preparing the ingredients.
1. Soak the dry fish in cool water and set aside to soften.
2. Soak the abacha for 2 minutes in cool water and put in a sieve to drain.
3. Rinse the stockfish and cook till soft. I use a pressure pot for this. Debone when it is soft.
4. Mix the edible potash with some water, stir and set aside.
5. When the dry fish is soft, clean and debone. Then break into small pieces.
6. Cut one of the onions into tiny pieces and cut the other into rings. See the video for what I mean.
7. Rinse the leafy vegetable, cut some into tiny pieces, some into thin stripes and leave some leaves whole.
8. Rinse the ukpaka and put in a sieve to drain.
9. Cut some garden egg into tiny pieces and some into thin discs.
10. Crack open the ehu seeds and grind with a spice grinder.
11. Melt the palm oil in a sizeable pot over low heat.
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Cooking And Its Importance To Women
Cooking is the process of preparing food by using heat. It involves a variety of techniques and methods, such as grilling, baking, boiling, frying, and steaming. Cooking also requires ingredients, utensils, and appliances to create delicious and nutritious meals. Cooking is for all irrespective of sex.
It may interest you to know that there are many benefits to cooking at home, including the ability to control the ingredients and portion sizes, save money, and customize dishes to suit individual tastes and dietary restrictions. Cooking also allows for creativity and experimentation in the kitchen, as well as the opportunity to share meals with family and friends.
When you cook, it enables you to know the right ingredients to use for a particular meal. Getting prepared food outside home will not give such opportunity and in fact it is cheaper.
For you to carry out cooking successfully, prepping ingredients ahead of time, is very important. Using the right tools and equipment, adjusting cooking times and temperatures as needed will make one a good cook and tasting and seasoning dishes to ensure they are well-balanced. A good cook should be able to taste and add adequate seasoning to ensure that dishes are consumed without stomach crams.
Cooking can be a fun and rewarding activity, whether you are a novice or experienced chef. It can also be a form of self-care and a way to explore different cuisines and flavors from around the world. Overall, cooking is an essential skill that can help you eat healthier, save money, and enjoy delicious meals at home.
Good chefs earn a living through cooking. Good ones who are opportuned to work in big hotels and smaller eateries make huge sums of money as well as earn free meal at work.
According to experts, cooking involves a wide range of techniques that can be mastered through practice and experience. Some common culinary techniques include sautéing, searing, braising, roasting, marinating, poaching, and blanching. Each technique contributes to the flavor, texture, and appearance of the final dish.
In addition, understanding how different ingredients work together to create a balanced flavor profile is key to successful cooking. This includes experimenting with sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami flavors and learning how to add these flavors in a dish to create depth and complexity. The right ingredients work together to give the right aroma and taste a good cook deserves.
Furthermore, exploring the diverse culinary traditions from around the world can open up a world of new flavors and cooking techniques. Trying out recipes from different cultures can help you broaden your culinary horizons and develop a deeper appreciation for global cuisine.
You may discover that different cultures believe in their own food and meals. Someone from the Eastern part of the country may not be comfortable with the kind of food or meal prepared and consumed in the northern part of the country.
Interestingly, gas cookers are in vogue because they cook faster especially in families with the presence of kids. Having the right tools and equipment in the kitchen can make a big difference in your cooking. From basic essentials like knives, cutting boards, pots and pans to specialized appliances like blenders, food processors, and slow cookers, having the right equipment can help you cook more efficiently and effectively.
In this 21st century, a lot of innovations have actually come into the practice of cooking. The use of wood and stove are gradually going down especially in the urban centres.
Planning your meals ahead of time can save you time, money, and stress in the kitchen. Meal planning involves selecting recipes, creating a shopping list, and preparing ingredients in advance to streamline the cooking process. This can help you eat healthier, reduce food waste, and make the most of your time in the kitchen.
A lot of families plan their meals so as to minimize waste, especially now because of high cost of living.
The safety of the food to be consumed in a home should be the concern of every good cook. Practicing proper food safety and hygiene is essential in cooking to prevent foodborne illnesses. This includes washing hands, utensils, and surfaces regularly, storing food at the correct temperatures, and avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods.
A cook should ensure that ingredients for a particular meal are properly washed. Food stuffs must be properly preserved if they are not to be used immediately. When it comes to refrigeration, experts should be contacted for proper advise on how long they should be kept.
Some persons due to health challenges are placed on special diets. Medically, some persons are advised to consume food with low salt intake as well as sugar. It is important that a good cook adheres to those instructions. If you or your loved ones have dietary restrictions or preferences, learning how to cook for special diets can be a valuable skill. This may involve accommodating allergies, intolerances, or lifestyle choices such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or low-carb diets.
Moreso, cooking at home allows you to have better control over the ingredients used in your meals, leading to healthier eating habits. By cooking from scratch, you can avoid processed and unhealthy ingredients, reduce the amount of added sugars and preservatives, and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Meals prepared at home obviously may not taste as the one consumed from outside. The food got outside may contain excess spices more than meals prepared at home.
Cooking is deeply intertwined with culture and tradition, and exploring different cuisines can be a great way to learn about different countries and regions. Trying out recipes from various cultures can expand your culinary skills and palate, introducing you to new ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques.
As peoples culture differs that is how the kind of food they consume also differ. When a chef finds himself or herself in a particular region, it is better to learn the kind of food that is being consumed.
When you talk about cooking, the meal prepared for an adult definitely differs from that of a baby. Excess pepper in meal may not be good for infants.
The use of mutter and pestle is gradually phasing out with the innovation of electrical appliances such as blenders. A good cook should be able to train herself on the usage of such kitchen equipment.
With the use of microwave oven has come to stay as hotels (eateries) and homes use them thereby saving the use of kerosine in stoves and gas.
Odoo-e Precious is a student of Pan African Institute of Management and Technology, Port Harcourt.
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