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Amala (yam flour swallow)
Amala isu: Ibadan's smooth, brown swallow made by stirring yam flour into boiling water
Amala gets its dusky brown colour from elubo, yam that has been peeled, sliced, sun-dried and milled, which gives it a faintly smoky, earthy taste. Ibadan's amala joints serve it from morning to night, soft and steaming, wrapped in leaves or cling film, with ewedu, gbegiri and stew; it is pinched off with the fingers and dipped, never chewed for long. Making it takes five minutes and a strong arm: the flour goes into boiling water and is stirred and turned against the side of the pot until it is perfectly smooth and stretchy. Lumps are the usual mistake, so add the flour off the heat and stir hard from the first second. Chef's tip: use a sturdy wooden spatula (omorogun) and press the dough against the pot rather than just stirring it round; that is what makes it silky.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups waterdivided
- 10 ½ oz eluboyam flour, sold in African shops
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 800 ml of 3 ¼ cups water to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan.
6 minStep 2: Take the pot off the heat and pour in 10 ½ oz elubo in a steady stream while stirring fast with a wooden spatula. Keep stirring and pressing the dough against the side of the pot until there are no dry patches.
2 minStep 3: Return to a low heat and keep turning and pressing for 2–3 minutes until smooth. If it is stiffer than you like, add up to 200 ml of hot ¾ cup water.
3 minStep 4: Make a few holes in the dough with the spatula, pour in the remaining water, cover and steam over a low heat for 2 minutes, then stir again vigorously until it is smooth, elastic and glossy.
3 minStep 5: Scoop into balls with a wet bowl or wrap in cling film and serve straight away while hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 63 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does amala (yam flour swallow) take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 13 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.
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