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Ukwa (African breadfruit porridge)
Ukwa: Igbo porridge of African breadfruit seeds slow-cooked with potash and palm oil
Ukwa is festival and family food in the Igbo Southeast, cooked for guests and for the New Yam season, and its price in the market shows how prized it is. The seeds of the African breadfruit are dehulled and slow-cooked with a little potash until soft and creamy, then finished with palm oil, onion, pepper and fragrant utazi or scent leaves, giving a rich, nutty, slightly beany porridge. Dried fish is often stirred in; this version stays meat-free. Some cooks add fresh sweetcorn or cooked maize in the last 10 minutes. A pressure cooker saves an hour of simmering. Chef's tip: add the salt and stock cube only once the seeds are soft; seasoning early, a common mistake, keeps them hard for much longer.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb ukwadehulled African breadfruit seeds, picked over and rinsed
- 1 tsp potashakanwu, crushed
- 8 ¼ cups waterplus extra
- ½ cup red palm oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 1 scotch bonnet chillieschopped
- 1 vegetable stock cubecrumbled
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 utazi leaves (optional)shredded, or a handful of scent leaves or basil
- 5 ½ oz sweetcorn kernels (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Cover and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour–1 hour 15 minutes, topping up with boiling water as it drops, until the seeds crush easily between your fingers. In a pressure cooker this takes about 30 minutes.
70 minStep 3: Drain off most of the liquid, leaving just enough to keep the seeds moist. Mash about a quarter of them against the side of the pot.
Step 4: Stir in ½ cup red palm oil, 1 onion, 1 scotch bonnet chillies, 1 vegetable stock cube, 1 tsp salt and 5 ½ oz sweetcorn kernels. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until it is thick and creamy and the oil turns the porridge a rich orange.
10 minStep 5: Stir in 4 utazi leaves and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ukwa (African breadfruit porridge) take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 105 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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