Traditional Recipe: How to Prepare Abacha (African Salad)

Abacha also known as African Salad is a popular meal among the easterners in Nigeria. The meal is made with Abacha (dried shredded cassava) and ugba (fermented oil bean seeds).

How to prepare it:

Ingredients for Abacha Ncha (African Salad)

• Salt to taste
• Large dry prawns
• 1 teaspoon ground Ehuru (calabash nutmeg) (optional)
• 300g Abacha (dried shredded cassava)
• 1 teaspoon ground Iru /Ogiri (fermented locust bean seeds) (optional)
• 1 level teaspoon ground Potash (akaun)
• 100g Ugba (Ukpaka), sliced
• 1 large or 2 small Onion bulbs
• Chili Pepper/ any hot pepper (to taste)
• 200ml Palm Oil
• 2 tablespoonful ground Crayfish
• 1 Stock cube/ powder (seasoning cube)
• Boiled Dried fish or Stockfish
• Kpomo or Kanda (cow skin)
• Fried Fish (preferably Mackerel/Titus Fish)
• Onion slices
• 4 big Garden eggs (or 2 large Eggplants if you live outside Nigeria)
• 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped Garden Egg leaves (You can use thinly sliced utazi leaves or spinach leaves as an alternative)

Directions:

• Slice and cook the kpomo
• Soak the dry prawns in hot water to soften them a bit and strain.
• Shred the boiled dried fish/stock fish.
• Dissolve the ground akanwu (potash) in about 3–4 tablespoonfuls of water and pass through a sieve to remove particles. Set the liquid aside for later use.
• Rinse the Ugba in lukewarm water, strain, and set aside.
• Place the dry Abacha in a bowl and soak it in cold water for about 8 minutes until it goes from pure white color to kind of translucent.
• Slice one onion bulb into rings, and dice or pound the other onion bulb.
• Pour the palm oil into a clean dry pot, add the potash liquid and mix until the color begins to change from orange to yellow and the mixture becomes a thick paste.

1. Add the crayfish, pepper, diced/pounded onions, the ground ehuru (calabash nutmeg), ogiri, and stock, mix thoroughly until well combined.
2. Now, place the pot on low heat, add the strained Abacha and adjust for salt if necessary. Mix well and put off the heat as soon as the Abacha is warmed up.
3. Then, add the ugba (ukpaka), chopped garden eggs, the cooked dried/stock fish (if using), softened large prawns, and the kpomo. Mix well until all the ingredients are well blended.
4. Finally, add the sliced leaves, stir well and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish the prepared Abacha (African salad), with onion rings and fried fish.