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Abacha (African salad)
Abacha: Igbo cassava-shred salad tossed in palm-oil ncha with oil bean, garden egg leaves and onion
Abacha is the evening snack of Anambra and Enugu, sold by women on street corners and served at Igbo weddings and funerals, where people call it African salad. Dried cassava shreds are softened in water and tossed in ncha, a thick yellow emulsion made by stirring palm oil with potash water, together with fermented oil bean (ugba), sliced onion, pepper and ground calabash nutmeg, then finished with garden egg leaves and fresh garden eggs. It is chewy, oily, peppery and fresh all at once. Stockfish, ponmo or crayfish are often added; this is the meat-free way. Outside Nigeria, African shops sell abacha and ugba; leave the ugba out if you cannot find it. Chef's tip: soak the abacha only until it is just pliable; left too long it turns mushy, which is the mistake that ruins the texture.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz abachadried cassava shreds
- 5 ½ oz ugbafermented oil bean slices, rinsed; leave out if unavailable
- 1 tsp potashakanwu, crushed
- ½ cup red palm oil
- 1 onionhalf finely chopped, half in rings
- 1 tsp ground dried chilli
- 1 tsp calabash nutmegehu, toasted and ground; or ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 vegetable stock cubecrumbled
- ½ tsp salt
To finish
- 1 oz African eggplant leavesgarden egg leaves, finely shredded; or rocket
- 3 African eggplantsgarden eggs, sliced
- 4 utazi leaves (optional)finely shredded, or a few bitter leaves
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 10 ½ oz abacha in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak for 5–8 minutes, until soft and pliable but still a little chewy. Drain well in a colander.
8 minStep 2: Dissolve 1 tsp potash in 4 tablespoons of warm water and let it settle for 2 minutes, then pour off the clear liquid, leaving the sediment behind.
2 minStep 3: Pour ½ cup red palm oil into a large pot. Add the potash water a little at a time, stirring constantly, until the oil thickens into a smooth, bright yellow paste (ncha).
Step 4: Stir 5 ½ oz ugba, the chopped half of ½ onion, 1 tsp ground dried chilli, 1 tsp calabash nutmeg, 1 vegetable stock cube and ½ tsp salt into the ncha.
Step 5: Add the drained abacha and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until every shred is coated in yellow. Warm it over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, if you like it served warm.
4 minStep 6: Fold in 1 oz African eggplant leaves, top with 3 African eggplants, the onion rings from the rest of ½ onion and 4 utazi leaves, and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 500 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does abacha (African salad) take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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