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Description
Abacha, also known as African Salad, is a delightful dish originating from the Igbo tribe in the southeastern part of Nigeria. Let’s explore this flavorful delicacy:
Ingredients and Preparation:
Abacha is made from processed shredded cassava tubers.
The cassava is peeled, washed, cooked, and sliced into desired sizes or shapes.
When prepared from scratch, the harvested cassava undergoes these steps to become abacha.
Serving and Occasions:
Abacha Ncha (another name for African Salad) is served as both a snack and a main meal.
It’s commonly offered to visitors at home, weddings, or parties.
Besides Nigerian jollof rice, abacha is arguably one of the most beloved dishes from Nigeria.
Making the Creamy Sauce:
The key to delicious abacha lies in creating a creamy sauce using palm oil and potash (akanwu or kaun).
Achieving the right balance of this sauce is crucial.
Other flavorings include ogili isi (a local seasoning), ground crayfish, ehuru (African nutmeg), scotch bonnet pepper, and seasoning cubes.
Garnishes and Accompaniments:
Abacha is beautifully adorned with various garnishes:
Sliced raw or lightly sautéed onions.
Different sizes of garden egg (anala).
Shredded utazi leaves.
Whole crayfish.
Dried whitebait fish.
Accompaniments include fried mackerel (ice-fish), canda (cowskin), stockfish, dry fish, and even bush meat.
Variations:
There are several ways to prepare abacha, such as Stir-fry Abacha, Marinated Abacha, and Easy Rub Abacha.
Quick Recipe for Abacha Ncha:
Ingredients:
150g dry abacha
1/4 cup palm oil
4 teaspoons potash water (1 tablespoon potash powder to 4 tablespoons water)
1 teaspoon ogili isi
2 tablespoons ground crayfish
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ehuru (about 3 medium seeds)
Scotch bonnet pepper (ground fresh pepper)
2 seasoning cubes
Salt
Fresh anala leaves (garden egg leaves)
Garden egg
Frozen mackerel (icefish)
Onions
Instructions:
Rinse dry abacha to remove any dirt or grit.
Soak abacha in warm water for a minute, then drain.
Mix potash powder with water and set aside.
Combine palm oil and akanwu water to create a thick, uniform sauce.
Add ogili isi, ground crayfish, ehuru, pepper, and seasoning cubes. Adjust salt.
The sauce should have a strong taste.
Serve abacha with garnishes and accompaniments.
Abacha is not just a dish; it’s a celebration of flavors, culture, and tradition!
