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Usi (Urhobo starch swallow)
Usi: the Urhobo people's glossy, stretchy swallow of cassava starch and palm oil, eaten with banga soup
Bright yellow-orange and wobbly, usi, often just called starch, is the pride of Urhobo cooking in Delta State, and in Warri and Ughelli it is the only proper partner for banga (palm-nut) soup or owo soup. It is made from cassava starch cooked with water and a little palm oil, stirred hard over a low heat until it turns from a chalky white paste into a translucent, glossy, elastic mass. It tastes very mild; it is a vehicle for rich soups, and its smooth stretch is the point. Look for cassava starch (wet or dried) in African shops. Banga and owo soup are usually made with fish, so serve usi with a meat-free banga for a vegan meal. Chef's tip: keep the heat low and never stop stirring; a high flame is the mistake that scorches the bottom and leaves raw, white lumps.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz cassava starchusi starch, broken up if lumpy
- 4 tbsp red palm oil
- 1 ½ cups waterabout
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 14 oz cassava starch in a heavy, non-stick pot and pour in 4 tbsp red palm oil. Rub them together with your fingers until the starch is evenly coloured.
2 minStep 2: Add 1 ½ cups water a little at a time, stirring, until you have a smooth, runny paste like single cream with no lumps.
Step 3: Set over a low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spatula. After 4–5 minutes it will suddenly thicken and turn lumpy; keep stirring hard and pressing it against the pot.
5 minStep 4: Keep cooking and turning for 6–8 minutes more, until no white, opaque patches remain and the whole mass is translucent, glossy, orange and stretchy. Add a splash of hot water if it seems stiff.
8 minStep 5: Wet your hands or a bowl, shape into balls and serve hot with banga soup.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 88 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does usi (Urhobo starch swallow) take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 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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