African salad with Valerie Kadiri

In case you are seated there wondering what African salad is, here is all you need to know about this Nigerian Delicious Dessert and even all the ingredients used in preparing it. This dessert is very popular in the eastern part of Nigeria; it is one of the most Popular Igbo Recipe, I don’t visit this part of the country and come back without having a taste of this Nigerian delicacy.
Abacha – as the Igbos love to call it - is one of the most popular evening desserts in the eastern villages, it serves best as kola to visitors, as a matter of fact, there are villages in the eastern part of Nigeria that only offer ugba or abacha to visitors and even visitors have come to love and desire the delicious delicacy.
The fresh Abacha (African salad is a by-product of cassava), there are a lot of processes involved with obtaining the fresh abacha that is used in preparing the African salad that we all know . Most rural dwellers are very familiar with the whole process involved.
The first thing to do (if you live in the village or own a farm) is to obtain cassava tubers, wash thoroughly and boil along with water for twenty to thirty minutes then pill to remove the brown outer layer, and cut to tiny bits.
The sliced cassava is then soaked in water for 18 hours or more. The last thing to do would be to wash thoroughly with clean water then sun-dry and store in an airtight seal. Dried cassava chips can last more than a year if stored in an air tight dry environment.
But if you live in developed cities you probably wouldn’t need to go through this cumbersome and tiresome procedure, just buy every one of the ingredients in the market
Here are all the ingredients that are needed for preparing Abacha (African salad) whether you are within or outside Nigeria. Some of them are extremely required while few of them are optional
Ingredients for African Salads
6 to 8 cups of Abacha (African Salad) {image below} Ehu 3 seeds (optional) 1 to 2 cups Of Ugba (Ukpaka) half cup of crayfish 1 to 2 cubes of maggi or knorr About 10cl of palm oil Edible powdered potash(1 teaspoon) salt and pepper to taste. 3 to 5 garden eggs (optional) Utazi leaves (optional) Garden egg leaves (optional) (image in the tray below) Meat/dry fish or stock fish.(optional) I told you that most Nigerian foods are served with either fish or meat, Even the African Salad (Abacha) is also served with either fish, meat or even stock fish (okporoko), although there is none of that in the image below. Here is how to prepare African salad.

African Salads in Nigeria with Valerie Kadiri

I like using the dried abacha (as you would find in the plate above) instead of the freshly made wet abacha the only reason is because the former give you the advantage of heating at the beginning for few minutes without being overly wet.
You can either heat or soak the dry Abacha in boiled water for about three minutes, then sieve and keep on a separate bowl.
Blend your crayfish and also slice the onions, garden egg leaves. It is advisable to dissolve the powdered potash in about 5 cl of clean water; this is a trick I employ just to easily filter out unwanted solid materials that is often embedded in potash.
Filter the dissolved potash into a mortar or pot leaving out the residue.
Add about 10cl of palm oil and stir to form a yellowish paste (ncha, as addressed by the igbos), This is the first part to making Abacha (African Salad), add the ground crayfish and pepper, stir, then add the ground ehu if you like.
Ugba is an important ingredient in the process of making African salad, it is considered incomplete without the present of this ingredient. Ugba is usually sold in most Nigerian markets or African shops (if you live outside Nigeria). Add the ugba to the mixture and stir, and then add the abacha, salt. It is advisable to heat the abacha (using the method outlined above) just few second before you use so it doesn’t get cold, as most people in Nigeria like their Abacha to be a little bit warm. Stir the whole combination and you are almost through with the preparation part.
The garden eggs, the leaves and the onions are used mostly to spice up or for decoration purposes and not added during preparation but while dishing out. They are often sliced and kept aside in different plates or bowls, then added while individual plates are dished out; this also goes for the meat or fish used.
Taste the combination in the mortar or pot, if it is as tasty as you desire, you may also want to turn on the cooker and heat for few minutes if it is not as warm as you desire.
Serve with the meat and also add the garden eggs (sliced) and leaves to individual plate, most people in the rural centers like to take African salad with palm wine. So get a bottle of palm wine or your favorite soft drink
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Nigerian Nkwobi Recipes with Valerie Kadiri

How to Make nkwobi, one of the Nigerian’s most popular desserts. Over the years I have received countless number of questions from members of the Nigerian Kitchen who require tips on making Nkwobi, a popular Nigerian evening dessert. In case you know nothing about the Nigerian kitchen project, here is a link to the subscription page, Become a member of the kitchen, scroll down to find the Newsletter op-in-form
This evening dessert has been around for a very long time, initially it was made with just bush meat (edible wild animals), the like of squirrels, grass cutter, rabbit and even antelopes could be used to make this delicious evening dessert but along the line people starting experimenting with domestic animals and even poultry birds. If you are among the folk that are asking “what is nkwobi?” here is a simple definition; It is Igbo delicacy that is made with different kinds of meats, in a little while you will read all the processes involved in making it and why it is very popular within the eastern part of Nigeria. You will also learn about all the ingredients used in making it and different kinds of meats that could also be used. I remember vividly the first time I had a plate of Nigerian nkwobi, it was very delicious and very pepperish. Although you can use pepper to your taste. The last recipe I ate was made with chicken, but like I said initially, your choice of meat can vary but the methods remain the same.
Here are the ingredients that are used in making Nigerian nkwobi (for five to ten persons.) 2 kg Meat (chicken, wild meat, goat, cow tail, assorted meat) 1 cube of knorr Utazi leaves Edible potash (one teaspoon) Palm oil Ugba Onions Salt and pepper to taste The first step is parboiling the meat with some ingredients; onions, a cube of maggi/knorr and salt will be enough. Then allow to cook for another fifty to sixty minutes until the meat is completely soft for consumption.
This is necessary because nkwobi as well as Nigerian pepper soup is basically made with very soft meats, just so it is not hard to chew. Most preparation processes take place in a small mortar, (an African carved hollow wood), but you can use a pot if you are not in Nigeria. This is just how it has been, some of Nigerian food customs have been around for years and we probably haven’t found a credible reason why they should be revoked. Slice the onions and utazi, then set aside on a plate, some people choose to add these two during the preparation process while others use them for decoration purposes. One way or another, Utazi and onions should be part of the ingredients used in preparing Nigerian Nkwobi.

Nigerian Nkwobi with Valerie Kadiri

You can boil the ugba in small amount of water for about 2 to 3 minutes, this technique is hygienic, it helps to eliminate every possible health threat. Note that this ingredient is processed with the help of an harmless bacteria. This is just to be on the safe side even though most Nigerians eat ugba without heating in any way.
Cook the meat until it is almost dry of water, check to see the level of water. This is necessary so you don’t end up with another kind of pepper soup, Stir the cooking meat in the pot to be sure that it doesn’t burn. Did I say that it is also necessary to cut the meat to tiny bits? Dissolve the potash in about 15cl of water and filter into the pot, if you have seen the video on making African salads, you will know exactly how this is done, although most Nigerians are familiar with this technique.
Add about 10 to 15cl of palm oil into the pot, stir to obtain a thick yellow paste (ncha) and you are just few steps away from having a very delicious nkwobi, also add the meat and the ugba, then stir very well. Add the sliced onions and utazi but reserve a little of both for decoration. The utazi is very necessary because it adds a faint bitter taste which is an integral part of nkwobi and some other Nigerian desserts.
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Valerie Kadiri: Thoughts!

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Top Ten Kitchen Tools

These are the top 10 kitchen tools you will be using on a regular basis. They help you become more efficient in the kitchen and make your overall cooking experience a joy.

1. Set of Pots

set of pots It is a no brainer that this comes first in the list of top ten kitchen tools. You cannot imagine cooking without them. Sets of pots of different sizes are what you would want to invest in when equipping your kitchen. The different sizes will enable you cook small quantity food as well as cook for a large party. It also makes it possible to use the right size of pot for the different sizes of burners.

2. Sharp knife

kitchen knives Most of the cutting tasks in the kitchen are done with a knife. In spite of the belief that a sharp knife is a hazard in the kitchen, it is still better than trying to do the job with a dull / blunt knife. A sharp knife will ensure that you cut those leafy vegetables as tiny as you want them. When buying, hold the knife to ensure that it sits comfortably in your hand. 3. Chopping board chopping board How can anybody not have a chopping board in their kitchen? A good sized chopping board goes hand in hand with a sharp knife in getting the cutting jobs done. Keep the knife marks off your kitchen counter and your palms by using a chopping board. 4. Clock kitchen clock We all know that timing is a very important aspect of cooking. Some people even have a programmable timer so they can get the cooking times perfectly right. It is a good habit to time each stage of your cooking and subsequently the total time it takes to cook a particular recipe. And there is no better tool with which to do that than a simple kitchen clock. 5. Scissors kitchen scissors If you do not have a scissors in your kitchen, please buy one today. No other tool beats the kitchen scissors in such tasks as cutting spice packets, cutting tiny leafy vegetables (e.g. curry leaf), cutting open small packets of rice, spaghetti and noodle packs, sachet tomato puree etc. 6. Can Openers can opener What could we have done without these simple tools? Keep opening cans with knives? Oh no! These days there are many models of can openers and the best are the ones that open the can from the side rather than from the top. 7. Hand Towel kitchen towel This covers all types of towels in the kitchen; paper towels, sink towels, cloth hand towels. The kitchen is one place where you wash your hands so often and after doing this, you must have the need to reach for a hand towel. If not, water will drip all over your kitchen, making a mess. It is also good practice to clean as you cook and this is where the sink towel comes in handy. 8. Grater kitchen grater Graters are very simple tools yet very useful in the kitchen. Use large holes on it to grate your carrots when you want to make the Nigerian Salad. Use the tiny holes to grate your orange peels when you need just the flavour from them. This kitchen tool is a must for grating nutmegs, ginger and garlic. 9. Sieves sieve Sieves are necessary for a wide range of tasks in the kitchen. It is absolutely necessary when parboiling rice, removing beans coat before cooking the Nigerian Moi Moi, washing bitter leaves, to name a few. The fine sieve is very useful when extracting coconut milk or juice from your grated orange peels. After scraping your carrots, you can pour the water into a sieve instead of directly into the sink. It prevents even the tiniest pieces of the carrot peels from clogging your sink. 10. Bowls kitchen bowls Assorted bowls keep you more organised in the kitchen especially when you are preparing a recipe with lots of chopped vegetables. These include: Nigerian Salad, Vegetable Sauce or the Nigerian Fried Rice. You can easily place the vegetables in separate bowls right after cutting them. Plastic bowls with cover are also very useful in storing food in the fridge or freezer. The much bigger mixing bowls are very useful when washing vegetables
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How to prepare Vegetable Puree

Vegetable Puree is a recipe for the young ones in your life. You can start giving kids Vegetable Puree from when they are 6 months. It is the perfect way for your kids to get as much nutrients as they can from vegetables because they are too young to eat these vegetables like adults do. How to Make Kids Vegetable Puree

Ingredients

5 medium pieces of Carrots 3 pcs of fresh Tomatoes 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil (or any Vegetable Oil) 2 Cucumbers 100g of Chicken Breast (introduce after 1 week) A pinch of salt (from 12 months)

Before you prepare Vegetable Puree

Wash all the vegetables then scrape the carrots, remove the peels and seeds from the tomatoes and cucumbers. Now cut the vegetables into small pieces. Wash the chicken breast and cut into small pieces. Note: It is best to start the baby off on a vegetable puree without the chicken breast then introduce the chicken breast after one week of taking vegetable puree. You can use beef instead of chicken breast.

Cooking Directions

Put the cut carrots, tomatoes and chicken breast in a pot, pour water up to the level of the contents of the pot and start cooking. Leave to boil for 15 minutes on medium heat. Add the cucumber, Olive Oil and a pinch of salt. Note: Olive Oil is the best oil for the recipe but it can be replaced with other vegetable oils. Skip the salt if the child is less than 12 months old. Cover the pot and leave to boil for 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to cool down. When the cooked vegetables have cooled down, blend into a fine puree using a liquid blender. The Vegetable Puree can now be fed to the baby with a spoon. It can be added to baby cereal and milk mix and fed with a feeding bottle. The Vegetable Puree can last for up to 48 hours if well refrigerated. To warm it, put in baby's bowl and microwave till very hot, then allow to cool to a safe temperature before feeding baby. Linked Facebook My Blog

How to prepare Kids Noodles

The little ones in your life should enjoy a specially prepared Nigerian meal too. But the question is, do you take time to prepare kid-friendly recipes or do you rustle up anything and complain when your kids don't eat it? Most times we prepare our kids noodles with only the spices in the pack because it is the easy way out. What happens is that they often leave it untouched because that tastes worse than cardboard. Spice up your kids noodles today and they will surely ask for more.

Ingredients

1 pack of Noodles 1 very small Green Pepper 1 very small Carrot Small chunks of beef or chicken 3 table spoons of Olive / Vegetable Oil

Preparation

Wash and cut the green pepper and carrot into small pieces. Wash and cook the chunks of beef or chicken till done. Before opening the pack of noodles, break up the noodles in pieces. Put the noodle pieces in the pot containing the cooked beef and add the spice that comes with the noodle. Pour water to the same level as the contents of the pot. Cover the pot and set to cook at medium heat. When the contents start boiling, add the diced carrots and green pepper. Add the Olive / vegetable oil. Cover and leave to continue cooking till the water is almost dry. Do not allow all the water to dry up because this causes the noodle to become too dry when it has cooled down. Some kids do not like the taste of green pepper, this can be taken off the ingredients list. The aim of kids recipes is to cook something that your kids will like. Linked Facebook My Blog

How to cook Okra Soup for Kids

Okra Soup is the choice Nigerian soup when you want to start giving your toddler adult food. This is because not only is Okra Soup very rich in vitamins, it is also very easy for the kids to swallow due to its slimy nature. And it tastes good too! There is also the classic Okro Soup for grown-ups which has more added ingredients. Ingredients Okra Red Palm Oil Iced Fish (preferably Mackerel) Ground Crayfish Salt to taste Vegetable – Pumpkin leaves or Spinach (Washed & Frozen) Seasoning – 1 Maggi/Knorr cube (Optional) Before you cook Kiddies Okra Soup Cut the okra fingers into tiny pieces. Grind the crayfish. Wash the pumpkin leaves, if it is your choice of vegetable, and cut into tiny pieces. If you will use spinach, defrost and cut into tiny pieces. Wash, cut and boil the iced fish. Leave to cool and debone. Cooking Directions 1. Pour red palm oil in a clean dry pot and heat to dissolve the oil if it is congealed. Add the diced okra and start frying on medium heat, add some fish stock (or water) from time to time till you notice the okra start to draw. This process should take a maximum of 5 minutes to avoid over-cooking the okra. 2. Now add the ground crayfish, the remaining fish stock, pumpkin leaves, a pinch of salt and the fish and stir well. 3. Cover the cooking pot and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. The soup is ready to be served with mashed potatoes, Semolina or Pounded Yam
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Fruit Lollipops

Want a healthy treat for kids during summer? Then make fruit lollies for them instead of buying the sugar lollies from the shops. How to Make Fruit Lollies [Video] Feel free to use any fruits that your kids, friends, nieces and nephews love. And these lollies are not just for kids, I love them too ;-) They can be made with virtually any fruit. You just need to make sure that the fruit is very ripe. The following are the fruits I used for the fruit lolly in the video below. Fruits used 1 Mango 2 Kiwis 1 Peach 1 Pear (English pear) Add these fruits for colour Water melon Strawberry Tool you will need to make Ice Lollipops Ice Lolly Maker or Popsicle Mold. Buy it in USA | in UK Before you prepare Fruit Lollies Wash and peel all the fruits. Cut them into small pieces. Extract the juice from the pear. Directions Blend the mango pieces using the juice from the pear. Using a hand blender, crush the kiwi and the peach. Scoop the mango puree and the kiwi/peach puree into the ice lolly maker or popsicle maker. It is better to scoop these in layers to create an exciting design for the kids. Cover the ice lolly maker and place in the freezer for the minimum amount of time specified by the manufacturer. When done, remove the lollies following the instructions for your ice lolly maker. That's it! Some ice lolly makers have a receptacle that collects the drips from the fruit lollies as the kids enjoy them thereby making a minimal mess. Now go make as many lollies and make some kids happy!
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Meaty Sweet Potato (Kids Recipe)

Meaty Sweet Potato lets you use your kids' favourite vegetables in their meals so feel free to prepare this meal with the vegetables your kids love. Meaty Sweet Potato [Video] Ingredients for Meaty Sweet Potato 50g (1.8 oz) beef 1 small onion ¼ apple ¼ medium carrot ¼ sweet potato A handful green peas 1 teaspoon plain flour (for thickening) 2 tablespoons olive oil A pinch of salt or stock cube (from 12 months) Facebook Profile LinkedIn Profile

Oatcakes (Kids Recipe)

Oatcakes is a kids meal/snack that lets you sneak some oats into your kids' meals. How to make Oatcakes [Video] I say it is for the kiddos but adults can enjoy it too! Ingredients for Oatcakes The banana sweetens the oatcakes so ensure that you use very ripe but firm bananas for this recipe. As with all kids recipes, feel free to add ingredients that your kids love and skip the ones they do not like. 1 heaped tablespoon oats 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour (All Purpose Flour) 1 banana ½ a carrot A handful green peas A small amount of dense sausage ¼ glass of whole milk 1 egg Unsalted butter (for frying)
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Milo Chocolate Cake

Ingredients 11/4 cups of flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder A pinch of salt 1/2 cup of Milo 1/2 cup of Melted butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon of vanilla 1/2 cup of sugar 1/3 cup of water Chopped strawberries to garnish Method Preheat your oven to about 350 F. Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl except the sugar. Cream the whisked egg, melted butter, vanilla, water and sugar in a separate bowl. Mix both dry and wet ingredients and incorporate air into the batter while mixing it in. Grease the pan and pour in the mixture and put in the oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes. To test if the cake is done, stick a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out moist, it still needs oven time but if it comes out dry its ready. Sprinkle your chopped strawberries on the top of the cake and enjoy.

Black Fungus Health Benefits (Anticancer Remedy)

Black fungus is a very common type of edible mushroom which is found in Nigeria and other parts of the world. It grows on trees mostly in the rural areas due to the vast untapped vegetation found there. It has lots of medicinal benefits due to the nutrients it contains such as Vitamins, Protein, Fat, Iron, polysaccharides and a whole lot more. The mushroom can be found throughout the year in temperate regions worldwide, where it grows upon both dead and living wood. The popularity of this mushroom dates back centuries especially in China were it is extremely popular . Its applications in traditional medicine include preventing iron deficiency anemia, haematemesis, uterine bleeding, hemorrhoid, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and even cancer prevention. Culinary Uses of Black Fungus: Black fungus is a vegetable that works as meat but is usually added almost at the end of the cooking in other to Keep it fresh and also retain its nutrients. Naturally,it has no flavor of its own but when Used to cook it tends to absorb the seasonings it is cooked with. It could be incorporated in salads, Soups, Rice, Stews and whatever meal you can think of. Botanical Name: Auricularia polytricha- Google image Other Names: jelly ear, Cloud ear fungus, wood fungus, mouse ear Health Benefits: -Black fungus contains polysaccharide, which not only inhibits tumor growth and prevents cancer, it also neutralizes the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. It also has antitumour, hypoglycemic, anticoagulant and cholesterol lowering properties. -Black fungus also contains iron. Iron contained in black fungus is indeed one of the highest among all the vegetables. when eaten regularly it can enrich blood and prevent iron deficiency anemia. In terms of taste and price, it is a much better alternative to pig liver as a good source of iron, containing up to seven times of iron compared to pig liver - Black fungus has a reputation in Chinese herbal medicine for increasing the fluidity of the blood (same effect as in aspirin) and improving circulation. It is given to patients who suffer from atherosclerosis. - Black fungus is found to be effective in reducing blood pressure, and possibly LDL cholestrol levels. This can be done by drinking water in which the fungus has been slow-cooked for at least an hour -Black fungus is a good source of calcium, reportedly containing twice the amount of calcium compared to milk. -Black fungus is also rich in protein, vitamins B1, B2 and D. - Black Fungus helps in nourishing the lungs, liver and stomach. It alleviates dryness and promotes circulation in the body. - Black fungus is a good “absorbent” and “scavenger” of toxic substances in the body thanks to its pectin that can absorb dust in lungs and digestive system and then excrete together. Names in other Countries -Nigeria: Erobelebele Nti -Thailand: hed hunu - Indonesia: kuping jamu -Japan: kikurage -China: mo-ei; wun yee -Malaysia: kuping tikus, cendawan telinga kera Google image:Black Fungus(Erobelebele nti) Availability I love hand picking mine fresh from the woods in the village but it is also sold dry in stores . You could find it growing on mango trees. Fresh black fungus is dangerous to eat as it could contain some poisonous matter, but most of the poisonous matter will disappear after being dried under the sun. Black fungus must be fully soaked in warm/cold water till soft before cooking. This would make it expand to several times its normal size. Trim the stem of the fungus and then rinse to remove the dirt. Cut up into any size you want and add to whatever meal near the end of the cooking so it doesn't lose its vitamins.
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How to make jollof rice (make party jollof rice)

When it comes to jollof rice, we all know there's "jollof :( "and there is "JOLLOF!!! :D :D :D" and the highest grade in Jollof rice hierarchy is the Party jollof rice!!! :D. This is because the party jollof rice is actually tastier than the normal jollof rice due to its unique smokey aroma and taste. No festive season is complete without jollof rice. There was a point in my life when i practically crashed parties just because of the jollof rice....LMAO!. I've turned a new leaf now though (thank you lord!!!) and that was since i got the perfect recipe. When it comes to the jollof rice, some people would swear it's the fire wood smoke that gives the rice that unique flavor while others would swear its the burning of the rice underneath that gives it it's unique taste. Whichever way, i'm going to show you how to recreate the party jollof rice right in your home without the firewood of course. For jollof rice, you can use the Stock of any meat such as: Beef stock, Chicken Stock, Turkey stock e.t.c. The Original party jollof rice basically doesn't require vegetables as we use at home so this is optional though when i was done, i added some boiled green peas. How to cook Jollof rice (Nigerian party style recipe): •Total time:Over an Hour •Misc: Serve Hot •Serves: 12 Ingredients: • 10 Plum Tomatoes • 5 Tatashey(Red bell pepper) • 5 Red scotch bonnet pepper(Ata rodo) •1 cooking spoon Tinned tomato puree •1 liter Liquid Stock (Boiled meat water) i.e. Turkey stock, Beef Stock or Chicken stock • 2 Red Onion 1/2 Ginger • 5 Cloves Garlic,minced • 4 Bay leaves 'whole' • 1 tbsp. Dry Thyme • 1 tbsp. Curry powder • 4 Seasoning cubes • 5 cups Rice • Salt to taste • Vegetable Oil for frying (I used Canola) Directions::: Preparation of the stock Step 1: If you are using beef/chicken/turkey,wash and place in a pot. Season with crushed seasoning cubes, salt, curry, thyme and ground/minced ginger,chopped onion and garlic. Boil till tender. Remove the meat from the stock and fry in a seperate pan. View the Original recipes for Turkey stock, Beef Stock or Chicken stock Here . Set the stock aside separately and the oil used in frying separately. You'd need these later. Preparation of the rice When it comes to preparing the rice before the real jollof preparation, its either you soak it in hot water for some minutes before washing or you par-boil it before washing. This removes the excess starch and prevents the rice from sticking together while remaining firm. Either way, you'd get the same result Step 2: Wash the rice thoroughly and place in a pot. Add enough water just enough to cover the rice and par boil for 10 mins. Wash the parboiled rice with cold water, drain and set aside. OR Soak the rice in hot water for some minutes, rinse with clean water, drain and set aside. Preparation of the tomapep puree Step 3: Remove the seeds from the tatashey and wash well. Wash the Tomatoes, Scotch bonnet pepper (ata rodo) and onion well too. Blend everything to a smooth puree. Pour the Blended puree into an empty iron pot and boil till there's no water left leaving just the concentrated puree in the pot. Preparation of the Jollof rice Step 5: Add the tinned tomato paste into the Boiled tomato and pepper puree. Pour the Oil used in frying the meat into the tomapep puree and use it to fry the tomapep puree while stirring constantly so it doesn't get burnt for about 5 mins. Step 6: Pour the Beef Stock (meat water) into the fried puree and mix. Add the dry thyme, Curry powder, Seasoning cubes (Crushed), Salt to taste. Gently add the parboiled rice into the puree and stock mixture and make sure the stock covers the rice, if it doesn't simply add water to ensure it does. Add the Bay leaves to the pot and cover. Step 8: Leave the jollof to cook and soften and once you notice the liquid in the pot has almost dried up leaving concentrated tomato puree at the top, turn with a wooden spoon or spatula. At this time, Check if the rice is soft enough and also check for salt and if the seasoning from the stock is enough, if not add the necessary ingredients. If its not soft enough, add some more water and leave to dry up once more till its completely soft. Now you can turn with any type of spoon........Let the Burning Beginnn!!!! P.S: 10-12mins is enough to let the bottom part get charred a bit (please don't burn the whole pot of rice....lol) Step 9: Leave the rice to Burn underneath till you begin to smell it :D. Once it completely dries up at the top, turn off the burner and open the pot slightly for the vapor to evaporate.Your rice is ready...Serve! Kitchen notes: • Don't turn with a metal spoon so it doesn't start burning before its done. Get a wooden spatula ready for this purpose. • Don't use your beautiful non stick pot for this purpose else you'd be required to scrub the pot with an iron sponge afterwards thereby damaging the pot Facebook Profile LinkedIn Profile

Kadiri Valerie Club Sandwich, Naija Style

club Sandwich may not be originally from Nigeria but Club Sandwiches are eaten a lot
in Nigeria. We have taken this recipe from the West and completely made it our own,
so much so that we now have Naija style Club Sandwiches.
How to Make Club Sandwich [Video]
Club Sandwiches are normally served on local Nigerian flights and exclusive hotels
but you don't have to be mile-high to taste this snack or breakfast recipe. It is so
easy to make so you should make one for yourself right after reading this.
You can eat the Club Sandwich as a snack with a chilled drink or serve it as part of
a breakfast meal. It is also an essential part of a packed lunch, just add fruits and a
drink and you are sorted :)
Ingredients you need for Club Sandwiches
The following are the quantities of ingredients you need to make a Club Sandwich for
one person. Feel free to multiply the ingredients.
4 slices of bread (minimum)
1 egg (hardboiled)
1 fresh plum tomato (tomato Jos)
1 medium carrot
¼ small cabbage
2 pieces of Sardine
1 tablespoon of margarine/butter
2 tablespoons of Mayonnaise
Preparation of Club Sandwich
1. Wash all the vegetables very well.
2. Scrape the carrot and remove the seeds from the tomato.
3. Grate the carrot and cabbage using the small holes of a grater (see video below).
4. Cut the tomato into very tiny pieces.
5. Cut the hardboiled egg into tiny pieces.
6. Add the mayonnaise to the carrot, tomato, egg and cabbage. Mix well and set aside.
7. In a separate plate, mash the sardine with a fork and mix with the margarine. Don't
worry if you don't like the smell of sardines, the margarine helps reduce the strong
smell.
8. Using a bread knife, cut off the crusty ends from the slices of bread.
9. Take one slice of bread, spread the margarine and sardine mix on one side of it and
cover with the second slice of bread.
10. Repeat the above step with the remaining two slices. By now you should have two
separate slices of bread that are stuck together by the margarine and sardine mix,
like this:
11. Now, take the first 2 slices, rub the carrot, cabbage, tomato, egg and mayonnaise mix
on one side of it and cover with the other two slices.
12. By now, all the slices of bread should be stuck together with 2 fillings of the sardine
and margarine mix and 1 filling of the mayonnaise mix in the middle like this:
13. Cut the sandwich into desired shapes and sizes.
Watch the video below to see how I cut mine :)
Serve the Club Sandwich with a hot chocolate drink or any chilled refreshing drink.
Yummy!

Peel Beans Without Tears

We all love Moi Moi, Akara, Gbegiri Soup and other Nigerian delicacies where we
need to peel the beans. But nobody enjoys peeling beans because it is one of those
tedious Nigerian cooking tasks.
If you have a blender and NEPA is on your side , your days of shying away from
cooking Moi Moi ends here.
Directions
1. Soak the beans for 1 hour. If you are using brown beans, this time may be less. You
will know the beans seeds are ready to be peeled when they are swollen and the skin
is baggy. The skin should also come off easily when you rub the beans seeds.
2. Put a small amount of beans into your blender.
3. Pour water to twice the level of the beans.
4. Press the Pulse/Turbo button on your blender for 1 second, let go; press it again and
let go. Do this 5 times and that is enough to peel the beans without blending them.
If your blender does not have a pulse/turbo button, switch to Speed 1 for 1 second,
turn it off; Speed 1, OFF and so on 5 times.
5. Pour into a big bowl.
6. Repeat this for the remaining soaked beans.
7. Decant the peeled beans into another bowl via a sieve. As the water goes into the
second bowl, shake the bowl containing the peeled beans from side to side so that it
is mostly the skin that goes into the second bowl.
8. Repeat Step 7 till all the coat is removed. If there are any stubborn seeds that were
not peeled, rub them with your fingers to peel them.

Kadiri Valerie How to Get Smooth Tomato Puree Without a Blender

Have you ever been in a situation where you are
just about to blend some tomatoes and NEPA (abi
na PHCN) strikes?
Or you’ve driven that blender so hard it just
decides to pack up on you?
OK, you are still planning to buy a blender?
Here’s how to get smooth tomato puree without a
blender.
Directions
1. Wash and remove the seeds from the tomatoes.
The best tomatoes for Nigerian recipes are plum
tomatoes known as Tomato Jos in Nigeria.
2. Cut them into small pieces.
3. Boil on medium heat till soft. The water should not
dry completely.
4. While still hot, pass the boiled tomato pieces
through a sieve with a wire mesh. The sieve
should be placed on a pot such that the smooth
puree falls into that pot. Use a spoon or wooden
spatula to stir the boiled tomatoes and watch them
slowly pass through the mesh. This mesh serves
as a grinder for the puree. Perforated sieves do not
do a good job of this and it takes longer.
5. When done, you’ll have very smooth tomato puree
in the pot and tomato skin in the sieve.
6. Set the pot on your cooker/stove and boil on
medium heat till all the water dries up.
7. The tomato puree is ready to be fried for Nigerian
Beef/Chicken Stew or for Tomato Stew .

Homemade Stock Cubes (Basic Version)

Some people have different reasons for not eating
store-bought stock cubes. If you or a family
member are/is allergic to MonoSodium Glutamate
(MSG) which store-bought stock cubes contain or
you just want to eat only natural foods, here’s how
to make your own stock cubes at home.
You will need:
Soft bones (also known as biscuit bones in
Nigeria)
Salt (optional)
Chunks of onion
Directions
1. Cook the soft bones with some water, salt and
chunks of onion. If preparing stock cubes for use
in traditional Nigerian soups such as Bitterleaf
Soup or Ora Soup, do not add onions. As a guide,
pour water to the same level as the soft bones.
Add salt to your taste.
2. Start cooking and once it boils, cook for another
20 minutes.
3. Take out the chunks of onion and leave to cool
down a bit.
4. Then pour the stock (water from cooking the
bones) into ice cube trays.
5. Put the trays of stock cubes in the freezer
overnight.
6. Your homemade stock cubes are ready! Add to
your cooking like you would add Maggi, Knorr,

How to cook Plantain Moi Moi (Ukpo Ogede)

Plantain Moi Moi (Ukpo Ogede) is one of the Nigerian plantain recipes prepared with
overripe platains. Do not let the look of this meal deceive you! It is very delicious.
Yes, it has this unique taste that your taste buds will love.
How to Cook Plantain Moi Moi [Video]
The proof of Plantain Moi Moi is truly in the eating! lol
Ingredients
2 pcs of overripe plantain (Even if the skin is now black, as long as the inside is not
decomposed)
100g plantain flour
1-2 cooking spoons palm oil
1 teaspoon ground crayfish
1 onion
Pepper and Salt (to taste)
1 Knorr cube
Cool water
Containers
Uma leaves (Thaumatococcus Daniellii)
Aluminium foil bags
Bowls
Before you cook Plantain Moi Moi
Prepare the uma leaves for the Plantain Moi Moi using the method detailed at: How to
prepare uma leaves for Moi Moi.
Put the plantain flour in a bowl, add a small quantity of water and mix till you get a
medium consistency.
Wash, peel and cut the overripe plantain into small pieces.
Grind the crayfish, cut the onions and pepper into small pieces.
Cooking Directions
1. Blend the overripe plantain pieces, plantain flour batter, onions, crayfish, pepper and
stock cube with just enough water to allow the blades of the blender move.
2. Pour the smooth blend into a sizeable bowl.
3. Add salt and palm oil. Mix thoroughly till well combined.
4. Set a small quantity of water in a pot to boil. When the water boils, place a base for
the Plantain Moi Moi wraps into the pot. This can be scrap pieces of aluminium foil,
a stainless steel stand or leaf stalks from the uma leaves.
5. Scoop the mix into folded uma leaves , just as you would with beans Moi Moi.
6. Gently place the wraps in the pot of boiling water and cook for 20-25 minutes. Add
water along the way if necessary.
7. Leave to cool down completely and set before serving.
Serve with Custard, oat meal or akamu (corn starch meal) . It can also be eaten with
a chilled drink as a quick snack.

Valerie Kadiri

Grilled Chicken, Bole and Vegetables

This dish was very simple to make and took me about 30 minutes oven time although you would want to marinate your chicken earlier. However, you can marinate and grill immediately if you are very hungry lol. My grilled chicken was also very spicy but that is a personal preference so you can regulate the chilli to your taste. Do enjoy my offering of grilled chicken, plantain and vegetables. Ingredients (serves 1-2) 1 large chicken breast 1 finger of plantain 3 scotch bonnet peppers a small piece of ginger 2 cloves of garlic 1/4 bulb of onion 1 stock cube 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon of oil 4 tablespoon of water 2 tablespoon of butter 1/4 red, yellow green bell peppers 1 small tomato 1/2 piece of carrot a handful of shredded red cabbage Method Blend the scotch bonnet peppers with garlic, ginger, lemon juice, water, oil and stock cubes. Marinate the chicken with your blend and allow to sit for a few hours. Grease your pan with 1 tablespoon of butter and place the chicken in the oven to grill at 395 F Slice your plantain into thin long strips and bake for 15-20 mins at the same temperature. Chop your bell peppers, carrots, tomato, red cabbage and onions and stir fry in butter with the left over stock cube. Serve with the plantain, and chicken when ready.

Fried Yam and Spicy Mayo

It’s something very very very simple and quick to make and when you have guests, instead of giving them the regular, you can spice it up with fried yam and spicy mayo. Here is my simple appetizer for the week. Ingredients 4 slices of yam 1 tablespoon hot sauce 1 tablespoon mayonnaise a pinch of salt Method Peel, rinse and slice your yam and set aside. In a pot of boiling water, place your sliced yam to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Strain in a sieve with paper towel to remove excess water and sprinkle your salt. Heat up your oil and deep fry your yam till golden brown. For the spicy mayo, mix the hot sauce and mayonnaise till both are completely blended and serve with the fried yam.

Strawberry Kiwi Granita

Ingredients Strawberries Kiwis’ (basically any fruit you like) 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want it to be) A shot of vodka (optional) 1 cup of water Recipe Using a small sauce pan, add in the water and sugar and boil for 7-10 mins. Once it has been boiled, put it in the fridge to cool it down a bit Clean the strawberries and kiwis (ensure to remove seeds from the kiwis or any fruit being used) Put the clean fruits in the blender and blend until it is smooth. Note: If you are using orange, lemon, lime, you don’t need to blend you need to squeeze out the juice from the fruit. Add the sugar water and blend to ensure proper mixture, then add the vodka or any alcoholic beverage. Pour mixture into a large casserole dish or baking pan (any wide bowl may be used). Put the casserole pan into the freezer and freeze for an hour Use a fork to scrape/scatter the ice that has been formed after the first hour and put back into the freezer. the idea is to get it looking like sand/shaved ice, after it is completely frozen. Repeat the above process over and over until it is completely frozen. (Optional), you can leave it in the freezer without breaking it the first couple of hours, but that just makes it harder to break once it is completely formed I hope you love it

Shrimp Tomato Peppersoup

Another recipe you could try is our shrimp tomato pepper-soup. You can use any protein, but just be careful to boil that protein separately as the cooking time for the shrimp is typically shorter. This could be a great starter to your dinner. It’s light, tasty and very gourmet looking especially if you are trying to impress and look like a professional chef :) Ingredients (Serves 2) 5 pieces of medium sized Shrimps 2 medium sized tomatoes 1 scotch bonnet pepper (ata rodo) A handful of chopped onions 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 tiny piece of uda 1/4 teaspoon of grounded ehuru (If you have a peppersoup spice mix you can skip the uda and ehuru as they are already included) 1/2 stock cube 1 stick of spring onion A pinch of chopped scent leaves (optional) or Basil 3/4 cup of water Method Blend your tomato and pepper and bring to boil with the water. Add your onions, spices and shrimps. Boil till the tomato is no longer sour. You may need to take out the shrimp if it’s cooked and maybe add more water till the tomato is ready. Add the scent leaves last and serve warm.

How to make Spring Rolls (from Asia)

Spring Rolls originated from Asia but Nigerians have recently been bitten by the Spring Rolls bug! I love Spring Rolls because once you get the Spring Rolls Wrappers right, you can fill them up with anything and they will taste great. They are usually filled with vegetables (hence spring) but I love to add beef to my spring rolls filling. How to make Spring Rolls [Video] Ingredients for Spring Rolls For the Spring Rolls wrappers: You can use store-bought wrappers for your spring rolls or you can make them yourself. To see how to make them at home, see: Homemade Spring Rolls Wrappers. For the filling: You can use any combinations of beef and/or vegetables for your spring rolls filling. The following quantities of ingredients will make make a filling for 15 spring rolls. I use: 50g minced beef A handful green peas 1 spring onion 1 medium carrot 1 small green bell pepper Habanero (Scotch bonnet) pepper (to taste) 1 Stock cube 1 teaspoon thyme A small quantity of vegetable oil For sealing the spring rolls: 1 tablespoon plain flour (all purpose flour) 2 tablespoons cold water - See more at: http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/small-chops/spring-rolls.html#sthash.qxGMz4HO.dpuf

Bacon and Shrimp Sauce

This acquired tasty recipe can be eaten with rice, potato, plantain or yam as the main dish. It is very easy to prepare and rich in protein and vitamins Ingredients 2tbsp Vegetable oil 250g Shrimps 250g Strips of Bacon 1 Onion bulb, sliced 6 tomatoes, chopped 2 cups of mixed vegetables 1 1/2 Seasoning cube Pepper, thyme, curry to taste Salt to taste Directions Season the shrimps with 1/2 seasoning cube Lightly wet the sauce pan with oil Place on heat and then add the shrimps Add the sliced onions Add the strips of bacon Stir fry and add the sliced tomatoes After 4mins, add the mixed vegetables and seasoning cube Add pepper, thyme, curry and salt to your taste

Homemade Shawarma

Shawarma is a staple lebanese fast food snack that is very popular in Nigeria. A Lebanese friend of ours has shared this healthy recipe and it is now available for all shawarma lovers. Ingredients 3 wraps of Lebanese bread For Chicken Shawarma A little bit of crisp vegetables- cabbage, tomatoes, onion rings, carrots 100g Smoked/Grilled/ Roasted skinless chicken or beef For Beef Shawarma A little bit of crisp lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onion rings 100g Smoked/ Grilled/ Roasted skinless chicken or beef FOR THE SAUCE Usually Tahina sauce + few drops of lemon juice + water OR Yoghurt and garlic sauce mix OR Mayonnaise and garlic sauce mix OR 4 tbsp of Salad cream + 2 tbsp of Mustard +2 tbsp of Tabasco sauce Directions Lay the bread wrap on a clean surface Nicely arrange the vegetables and chicken at one edge Garnish with a little of the sauces available Fold the wrap from there to the other end Put under a sandwich toaster for about 1 minute (optional) Remove from heat and serve

Valerie Kadiri: Fried Coco-yam with Jalapeno Fish Spread

Ingredient 1 tuber coco yam ( peeled, washed, cut and salted) oil for frying ( for a healthy spin, oven baked the yam instead) The spread 1 medium size fish ( any kind, I used salmon Mackerel is divine) 2 medium size Jalapeno pepper or green Habanero (chopped) 1 small tin tomato puree 1 small onion (chopped) salt and maggi to taste Direction Set a medium pot on medium heat, add in some oil.Once the oil is hot, fry the cocoyam until cooked and crispy. Dry the fried yam on paper towel The spread Cut and clean the fish, add about 1/2 cup water to a small pot. add in some maggi and salt, then set the fish in. boil for 7-10mins. Remove the boiled fish from the water,set to cool. Seperate the fish from the bone Place a satay pan over medium heat, add in 3Tspns of oil. Add in the onions, cook for 3-4mins. Add in the tomatoe puree and 3 tspns of water, cover for 5mins. Add in some salt, curry and maggi to taste. Add in the fish and the chopped Jalapeno, combine. Serve the spread with Cocoyam, sweet potatoe or nomal white yam. Enjoy!

Valerie Kadiri: Oven Baked Coconut Shrimps

Ingredients 8 raw large shrimps ( Cleaned and deveined) ½ a lime or lemon(Juiced) ½ teaspoon each ( salt and black pepper) ½ tsp seasoning salt ¼ cup flour 2 Table spoons corn meal 2 egg whites ( Beaten) ¼ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened) Other: Cooking spray, oven tray Direction In a bowl, combine the shrimps, lime juice, salt and black pepper. Set aside In another bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal and seasoning salt. Mix well and set aside Preheat the oven to 400degrees F Line an oven tray with some foil and lightly spray on some cooking spray Take the shrimps one at a time: coat on the flour mixture, then deep the shrimp in egg white and then coat generously with the shredded coconut. Place on the oven tray. Repeat until all the shrimps are done. Place in the oven and bake on each side for 6Mins (or until the coconut turns lightly brown). Enjoy!!

Nigerian Plantain Masa meets Ghanian Tatale

Nigerian plantain Masa and Ghanian Tatale are very similar being that they are both made from over ripe plantains; the variation in the recipe comes from the types of spices used in Tatale, where masa basically contains plantains, eggs and flour; tatale is made by combining mashed plantains with various spices including ginger and chilli powder. Try both and let me know which you prefer, I am personally #TeamTatale. Nigerian Masa Ingredients: 1 large overripe plantain 1 egg 1 table spoon Flour salt to taste Other: Oil for frying Direction: Heat 1 cup of oil until hot. (In the mean time prepare the plantain mix) Peel and mash the plantain into a fine paste, add in the egg, flour, salt and pepper. Combine well One table spoon at a time, Add the plantain mix to the hot oil, fry on each side until golden brown lift out the masa balls with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper Ghanian Tatale Ingredients: 1 large overripe plantain 1 table spoon grated onion 1 table spoon Flour or cornmeal I table spoon freshly grated ginger salt and pepper to taste Other: Oil for frying Direction: Heat 1 cup of oil until hot. (In the mean time prepare the plantain mix) Peel and mash the plantain into a fine paste, add in the ginger, flour,onion, salt and pepper. Combine well one table spoon at a time, Add the plantain mix to the hot oil, fry on each side until golden brown lift out the masa balls with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat the process until everything is fried

Croaker Fish in Coconut Milk

Ingredients 1 large size croaker fish ( or 2 smaller once) 4ooml coconut milk (~ 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 of a medium onion (chopped) 2 Garlic cloves (chopped) 2 maggi cubes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 table spoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 large tomato (Optional) Direction: Clean and pat dry the fish. using a knife, create deep incisions all along the fish. Set in a oven safe deep dish In a bowl combine the coconut milk, maggi, salt, thyme, onion, garlic, olive oil and pepper. pour the mixture over the fish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the fish in the oven and bake for 20mins. Remove the dish from the oven, with a serving spoon remove half of the cooking liquid and set aside. Return the fish to the oven and bake for another 15mins. Remove the fish from the broth, in a blender combine the broth (with onions and all) and the tomato. puree. Set the pureed mixture in a medium pot over high heat and cook until it is reduced ( ~10mins). Serve the tomato and Coconut sauce on the fish.
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How to make Ogi (Pap) from Cornflour or Cornmeal

This is a quick “Recipe” on making ogi/ akamu from cornmeal or Corn flour. The tip is very handy for those who live abroad. This is the easiest pap you will ever make as nature does all the work for you. For traditional ogi recipe click here Ingredients: White Cornmeal * of Corn flour – Desired amount Water Other: Container with a tight fitting lid Direction: Combine the corn flour or corn meal with enough water to completely cover. Mix thoroughly Cover tightly and leave in a warm space to ferment for 7-14 days (the longer the fermentation, the more tart the pap becomes) You will notice that the solid portion of the mix will remain at the bottom while the water floats at the top. Change the water every 1-2 days while the mixture ferment Your pap is ready to use in making ogi/ akamun or Eko / agidi after the fermentation period. Remove all excess water and store in the fridge. *If using cornmeal, puree the resulting sediment in a blender to combat the potential graining texture. How to process raw ogi into pap Ingredients ½ cup solid ogi ¼ cup cold water 2-3 cups boiling water (depending on your desired level of thickness) Direction In a large bowl, combine the solid ogi and 1/4 cup cold water. Mix thoroughly until you have a thick paste Add the boiling water into the pap paste a little at a time while simultaneously mixing the pap. The resulting mixture will thicken. Stop adding water as soon as desired texture is achieve Alternatively Combine all the ingredients in a pot and place on low-medium heat, stir continuously until the pap thickens to desired state. Serve ogi with fresh honey and fruits.
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Peppered Variety Rice And Mutton

It was a warm Saturday afternoon,we were done with the house chores and the general cleanup,this was not the average Saturday,our taste buds were itching for something exciting. After a little dilly-dallying I came up with this recipe. It was awesome and everyone loved it. As usual,it's subject to alterations and you can always add and subtract as you wish. Enjoy! ~INGREDIENTS~ •Rice - 2 de rica •Onion -3 medium bulbs •pepper -(like a plate I guess,didn't Count,just knew it was Plenty. lol) •runner beans -a small basket.(I love runner beans) •dry fish -16 pieces (the small ones) •chicken stock - a medium sized bowl •shrimps - a small pack •chicken sausages -a pack •mutton -1 and a half kilo •vegetable oil -a cooking spoon •seasoning •salt to taste ~METHOD~ •wash and arrange everything you need to prepare your food. Dice everything that needs to be diced. I washed my rice 5 times to get rid of the starch. •The mutton had already been seasoned previously and even half dried. i put in a pan,added ground pepper and a pinch of salt and allowed to heat and cook completely before setting aside. •The chicken stock was gotten from a previous meal,I brought it out of the fridge to defrost and set aside. •Put a dry pot on medium heat. Add your vegetable oil. After 5mins,your oil should be very hot,add pepper and onion stir fry. We wanted the rice peppery so don't scream when you see how much pepper I used. lol,but if u fry your pepper properly,it reduces the hotness. •Add your dry fish. When I make rice with dry fish I usually put it in the beginning and not when the rice is cooked as some people prefer to do. I do this so that the fish can get sauced properly and if its really dry,you don't have to bother about it scattering. •Add little salt and seasoning. This solely depends on how seasoned your stock is. You don't want it too spicy. •mix well and keep frying,after 5min,add your washed rice. I brought this down from the heat and stirred well,endeavor to use a wooden spoon. this way,it doesn't get burnt. Mix properly,and let all your ingredients work their way to the top. •Add your stock,taste for seasoning and leave to cook. •when almost cooked,add shrimps and diced sausages.(They are tender and do not need to over cook),its safe to turn @ this stage,using your wooden spoon and taken from bottom to top. •when completely cooked,add runner beans. This is my favorite ingredient. :).I love it crunchy,so I turn again,and turn of heat. Never over cook your vegetables the heat from the food should do this. •i didn't forget my mutton. it was served as a side dish. (Don't mind me o,na just meat)
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Nigerian Pancake Rolls

Enjoy! ~INGREDIENTS~ •flour. »750g •sugar. »250g •Eggs. »10 eggs •milk. »250g •mayo. »400ml jar •sausages. »2 packs •cabbage. »1 big head •carrot. »6 •lemon zest. »Just 4rm 1 lemon •nutmeg. »1 •freshly squeezed lemon juice. »From 1 •mixed fruits/raisins. »Half pack •pepper. »Just enough •Onion. »2 medium bulbs •vegetable oil. »Half cup ~METHOD~ •wash and everything. I grated the skin of the lemon to get the zest and squeezed out the juice. •pour your raisins in a bowl,add water and leave to rise. •In a clean pot,preheat your oil,add pepper nd onion,stir fry. Add 1 seasoning cube. when fried,add your sausages,and carrot. cook for 2 mins and set aside. •Mix your mayo with about 50g of sugar,till its completely smooth and looks like pap. •Mix your mayo with diced cabbage,put in the fridge to cool •Mix your flour,sugar,lemon zest,lemon juice,grated nutmeg,milk together. •Make a hole in the middle of this mixture and add your egg. gently fold together. add water,till you have a fairly thick liquid. •Add your raisins including the water you soaked it in. mix properly. •In a clean pan,put just enough oil to wet the pan. about one tablespoon,when hot pour half a cup of your pancake mix and fry away. we all know how to fry pancakes right? •To roll,put your cabbage,and sausage sauce,on one side of the pancake,carefully roll from that side,and hold with a toothpick. repeat this process,till you have rolled everything. I was able to make 30 rolls from what I had.
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How to cook Nigerian Jollof Rice

The Nigerian food recipe discussed here is the classic Nigerian Jollof Rice prepared at parties. This is the most popular Nigerian rice recipe. This is why you will always see it in parties. It is quite easy to prepare if you follow the simple steps. How to Cook Nigerian Jollof Rice [Video] The following are other variations of Jollof Rice: Coconut Rice Mixed Vegetable Jollof Rice Rice and Beans Ingredients 2 cigar cups | 500g (1.1 lbs) long grain white rice Tomato Stew 500 mls Chicken (whole chicken, drumsticks or chicken breast) Pepper and salt (to taste) 2 medium onions Seasoning – 3 Maggi/Knorr cubes & Thyme (2 teaspoon) Tools I used Cooker: Buy it in USA | in UK Oven for grilling the chicken: Buy it in USA | in UK Deep Pot: Buy it in USA | in UK Spatula: Buy it in USA | in UK Sieve Chopping board: Buy it in USA | in UK Blender: Buy it in USA | in UK Knives: Buy it in USA | in UK Before you cook Jollof Rice Prepare the tomato stew. Visit the Tomato Stew page for details on how to do that. It is advisable to prepare tomato stew before hand and keep in the freezer. This is so that whenever you want to cook any jollof rice related dish, it is just a matter of adding it to your cooking. If you will use whole chicken then wash and cut it into pieces. Cook with the seasoning and 2 bulbs of onions (chopped). The cooking time depends on the type of chicken. The rooster or cockerel cooks much faster than the hen but the hen is definitely tastier. When done, grill it in an oven. You may also fry it. This is to give it a golden look which is more presentable especially if you have guests for dinner. Parboil the rice using the method detailed in parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice. Wash the parboiled rice and put in a sieve to drain. Cooking Directions Pour the chicken stock and the tomato stew into a sizeable pot and leave to boil. Add the drained parboiled rice, salt and pepper to taste. The water level should be the same level of the rice. This is to ensure that all the water dries up by the time the rice is cooked. Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat. This way the rice does not burn before the water dries up. If you parboiled the rice as described at parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice, the rice should be done by the time the water is dry. Taste to confirm. If not, you will need to add more water and reduce the heat to prevent burning. Keep cooking till done. Serve with fried plantain, Moi Moi, Nigerian salad or coleslaw. You can spice up this recipe by adding 2 well known vegetables to arrive at what we refer to as Mixed Vegetables Jollof Rice.
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Spaghetti Surprise

Raise your hand if you think that cooking spaghetti and eating it with the good old beef/chicken stew is oh-so-boring. I think so too. That's why I bring to you the Spaghetti Surprise recipe. How to Cook Spaghetti Surprise [Video] This recipe is prepared with the ingredients you see in Nigerian markets and in food stores all over the world. There's even a bag of frozen vegetables (shown in the video) that I use to prepare this recipe in no time. So there is no reason why you should not prepare this recipe today, right now. Go ahead, give it a try and you will be deliciously surprised. How did I come up with the name Spaghetti Surprise? It's a long story, but to cut it short: One day, I was out of most food ingredients and I was wondering what to cook. I brought out all the fresh ingredients in my fridge and thought I would make something with Spaghetti. Hubby asked me what I finally decided to cook and I said, "I'm not sure, some concoction of sorts but I assure you, it's edible". He said, "Oh, it's a surprise then". And indeed we were pleasantly surprised when the meal was done so we named it Spaghetti Surprise. lol Ingredients for Spaghetti Surprise Spaghetti: The quantity you can wrap between your thumb and index finger. Beef: 5-6 normal cuts Vegetables: 500g Cabbage Green Pepper Carrots Green peas Green beans Tomato Stew: 600 mls or 20 fl. oz. Pepper and salt (to taste) Onions: 1 medium bulb Seasoning – 2-3 stock cubes cubes & Thyme (1 teaspoon) Before you cook the Nigerian Spaghetti Surprise Make some Tomato Stew if you do not have any. Break the spaghetti into short pieces. I usually break one strand of spaghetti into three pieces. Please if you have any Italian friends, don't let them see you breaking up spaghetti! LOL Cut the beef into small pieces. It is best to buy the part of beef that has streaks of fat in it. This greatly improves the taste of this recipe. Wash and cut the cabbage, green pepper and green beans into small pieces. Also wash, scrape and cut the carrots into tiny pieces. Cut the onions into small pieces and remove the green peas from the pods. If you will use tinned green peas, simply drain the preservation water and rinse with some fresh water. Cooking Directions Cook the beef with the onions, thyme and stock cubes (Maggi or Knorr). While the meat is cooking, start cooking the spaghetti in a generous amount of water. When the beef is done, add the Tomato Stew. Add the vegetables, salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 5 minutes. When the spaghetti is done to your personal preference, drain the water and pour the mixture of beef stock and tomato stew you prepared earlier into the pot of spaghetti. Stir well, cover and leave to stand for about 5 minutes. The Spaghetti Surprise is ready to be served. The Spaghetti Surprise is perfect when eaten on its own but feel free to eat this dish with Fried Plantain. Tips for Cooking Spaghetti Spaghetti should be cooked with a very big pot. That is to say, the pot should contain the spaghetti and still have plenty of unused volume. Spaghetti should also be cooked in plenty of water. The quantity of water should be at least double the quantity of the spaghetti. To cook spaghetti, first of all, boil water; add a few spoons of vegetable oil to the boiling water and add the spaghetti. Stir the contents very well and cover the pot. With some spaghetti, you need to stir till the water starts to boil again before covering the pot. The large amount of water, the boiling water and the vegetable oil altogether prevent the spaghetti strands from sticking together while cooking.
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How to cook Rice and Beans

If you do not like beans when it is cooked alone like in Beans Porridge, then you need to try the rice and beans recipe. How to cook Nigerian Rice & Beans [Video] One way to reduce the flatulence or indigestion associated with beans is to cook it with another staple and the rice and beans recipe is one of such recipes. Ingredients Rice - 2 cigar cups | 500g Beans - 1 cigar cup | 250g Tomato Stew 500 mls Chicken or Fish Pepper and salt - to taste Onions - 2 medium sized bulbs Seasoning – 2 Maggi/Knorr cubes & Thyme (1 teaspoon) Before you cook Rice and Beans Wash and soak the beans for about 5 hours. Discard the water and rinse the beans. Put the beans in a pot, pour some water and set to boil. Once the beans starts boiling, turn off the heat, throw away the water and wash again. These steps will help minimize the indigestion associated with beans for most people. Prepare the tomato stew. Visit the Tomato Stew page for details on how to do that. Parboil the rice using the method detailed in Parboiling Rice for Cooking Rice and Beans. Meanwhile, cook the chicken till tender with the chopped onions, thyme and stock cubes. If you will rather use fish, boil the fish for 5 minutes using the same amount of seasoning. Fry or grill the chicken or the fish and set aside. Cooking Directions Cook the beans till tender and set aside. Pour the chicken/fish stock into a pot big enough to accommodate the rice and beans, bearing in mind that the rice will rise some more. Add the tomato stew, the parboiled rice and the cooked beans. Check that the water level is just less than the level of the rice and beans. Add pepper and salt to taste. Stir, cover the pot and cook at low to medium heat till the water is dry. Serve with the fried chicken or fish and fried plantain.
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How to Parboil Rice

There are many varieties of rice. But Nigerians love to eat the long grain white rice which is firm in nature. This variety of rice contains a lot of carbohydrates, up to 80 grams per 100 grams of cooked rice. To reduce this high amount of carbohydrates, it is normal practice to parboil the long grain rice again. 'Again' because apparently, the long grain rice we eat already comes parboiled. Parboiling rice involves pre-cooking the rice in water and rinsing it in cold water before the main cooking. This pre-cooking ensures that your Jollof Rice does not burn before it is done, thereby eliminating the cardboard taste associated with undone Jollof Rice. Some people say they don't want to lose all the nutrients in the rice to parboiling but I'll rather get those trace amounts of nutrients elsewhere than end up with burnt, soggy and not-well-cooked rice. I parboil rice in two ways depending on the rice recipe that I'm making. How to Parboil Rice for Cooking White Rice White rice here refers to rice cooked without any additional ingredient. Salt may be added and that's it. White rice is usually a staple eaten with some kind of sauce or stew. To parboil rice for the purpose of preparing white rice, you want to boil it for a short period of time. You get the chance to add more water as you cook white rice because it will not burn. If you prefer to remove more carbohydrates, you may want to pre-cook it for much longer. To parboil the rice, follow these steps. Wash the rice in cold water (optional) and place in a pot. Add some water, about twice the level of the rice. Set on the stove and leave to cook. Note when the water starts boiling and leave to cook for more 5 minutes. Pour the contents of the pot in a sieve. Place the sieve (with the rice) in a bowl of cold water. Rince the rice and change the water if necessary. Leave in the sieve to drain off all the water. The rice is now ready to be cooked again. How to Parboil Rice for Cooking Jollof Rice (with video) Jollof rice refers to all types of rice cooked with added ingredients – oil, tomato stew, vegetables, coconut milk etc. This method is applicable to Jollof Rice, Coconut Rice, Mixed Vegetables Jollof Rice, Fried Rice, Rice and Beans, etc. With these kinds of rice recipes, you do not have the leisure of adding more water as you cook the rice. Once the first dose of water dries and you try to add another, the rice will burn and become soggy. For this reason you want to parboil the rice you will use for any jollof rice recipe a bit more. This way, you ensure that after adding the ingredients, the rice will be cooked by the time the level dose of water dries. This is the method to follow to parboil rice meant for preparing jollof rice recipes: Wash the rice in cold water (optional) and place in a pot. Add some water, about 4 times the level of the rice. Set on the stove and leave to cook. Note when the water starts boiling and leave to cook till the rice is rubbery. One way to check this is to bite into a grain of the rice being parboiled. If the rice is hard to the bite or even makes a sound when you bite, it is not yet OK to rinse it. If you pinch it between your thumb and first finger and it practically melts, then it is over-parboiled. Somewhere between the first description and the second is the point where you want to put the rice down and cool it. Sounds confusing? No ... With experience, you will be more confident in determining the best time. You can also watch the video below to see how it is done. Pour the contents of the pot in a sieve. Cool down the rice rapidly by dipping the sieve in cold water, changing water often till the rice is cold. Leave in the sieve to drain off all the water. The rice is now ready to be cooked again. Personal Food and Travel Blog of Valerie Kadiri
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Vegetable Sauce Recipe

This tasty recipe, made from chopped salad vegetables is a colourful way to enjoy a wide range of staple foods with vegetables. Some people even call it Salad Stew. Eat it with white rice, boiled yam, fried plantain or even mashed potatoes. How to Make Nigerian Vegetable Sauce [Video] It is very rich in vitamins and nutrients. So there is no reason why you should not be cooking this recipe as soon as possible. I promise you'll not want to eat the Nigerian Red Stew ever again after eating this vegetable sauce. Ingredients Whole Chicken Vegetable Oil (2 cooking spoons) 5 Spring Onions 8 Fresh Plum Tomatoes (Jos Tomatoes) 8 medium Carrots Cabbage (1 small bulb) Potatoes (3 medium sized) 1 Red Bell Pepper (optional) 1 Green Bell Pepper Salt - to taste Seasoning – 3 big stock cubes, thyme Before you cook the Vegetable Sauce Wash and cut the vegetables: plum tomatoes (remember to remove the seeds), carrots, cabbage and bell pepper as shown. Remember to scrape the carrots before cutting. Set these aside. Peel the Irish potatoes, wash and cut into small pieces. Blend into a thick paste and set aside. This will be used as thickener for the Vegetable Sauce. Cooking Directions Wash and cut the whole chicken into pieces. Place in a pot, add chopped spring onions, stock cubes and thyme. Add water to cover the contents of the pot and start cooking. When done, add salt to taste and top up the water to the same level as the contents if necessary. Once it boils, add the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable oil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Now, add the potato puree, chopped bell peppers and cabbage. Stir, cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Add salt to taste and the sauce is ready to be served. Note: Feel free to experiment by varying the thickness of the vegetable sauce. This you can achieve by increasing or decreasing the amount of potato puree added till you get a consistency that appeals to you. Tip: The smoothest puree usually settles at the bottom so you may want to use only that (if it is sufficient) and discard the frothy part at the top. Serve with white rice, boiled yam, fried plantain or mashed potatoes.
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Egusi (Melon) Seeds

Description Egusi belongs to the family of water melons. They grow in gourds which are mainly cultivated for their seeds as the flesh is neither sweet nor edible. Egusi seeds are small and flat. One end of the seed is rounded while the other is tapered. After harvest, the gourds are left to ferment; the fermented flesh is then washed off the seeds. The seeds are then dried and the light brown husks removed by hand or mechanically. When ready to be used in food recipes, the white/cream seeds are ground into powder and used as soup thickener. Egusi seeds are in a class of their own and should never be mistaken for pumpkin seeds. Egusi Recipe Egusi, when ground into powder, is the main ingredient in the Nigerian Egusi Soup Recipe. Season Egusi Seeds are available all year round. This is because after it is harvested, it is dried and in this state, it can be stored for a very long time. They are cultivated during the beginning of the rainy season, in the months of April through June and harvested at the onset of the dry season, in the months of October through December. Storage Melon seeds properly stored with the shells can last for very long periods of time. It is best stored in air-tight containers. This is to keep out weevils and moisture. If the melon seeds are shelled, they do not last as long because in this state, it is easier for them to pick up moisture and become mouldy. Ground melon seeds should be used immediately but if stored in very cold temperatures, it can last up to a month and still retain its taste. Buying Guide Egusi (melon) seeds are readily available in the open Nigerian markets or African food stores all over the world. When buying egusi in the open Nigerian markets, you should check for dust. If the seeds are dusty, it means they have been in storage for too long. It is best to buy melon seeds harvested from the year before because this ensures that they are very dry. Newly harvested melon seeds are not the best for preparing Egusi Soup because they are not so dry yet and may cause indigestion. Nutrition Egusi seeds are rich in oil and protein thereby making them a dietary supplement.
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How to cook Ora (Oha) Soup

Ora (Oha) soup is native to the South Eastern Nigeria. It is a very traditional soup similar to the bitterleaf soup but cooked with Ora leaves. Ora (Oha) Soup is special because the tender ora leaves used in preparing this soup recipe are seasonal unlike their bitterleaf counterpart which can be found all year round. How to Cook Ora Soup [Video] Though it is only the vegetable that distinguishes the Ora Soup and the Bitterleaf Soup, they taste so different that it is hard to believe the difference just one ingredient can make in a recipe. Ingredients for Ora (Oha) Soup Vegetable - Ora leaves Cocoyam – 8 small corms Red Palm Oil – 3 cooking spoons Assorted Beef – Includes best cut, shaki (cow tripe) Assorted Fish – Dry Fish and Stock Fish Chilli Pepper, Salt and Crayfish (to taste) 2 Stock cubes 1 teaspoon Ogiri Igbo (for the traditional taste but optional) Before you cook the Nigerian Ora Soup Grind the crayfish and pepper and set aside. pound cocoyam Wash and boil the cocoyam corms till soft. Remove the peels and use a mortar and pestle to pound the corms to a smooth paste. Using your fingers, cut the Ora (Oha) leaves into tiny pieces. This technique is to prevent the vegetable from becoming darker in colour. This happens when you cut the ora leaves with a knife. Cooking Directions Boil the shaki (cow tripe), stock fish and dry fish in 1 litre of water till they are well done. First sign of a done shaki is that the cuts will start curling on itself. Wash the beef and add to the pot of shaki etc. and continue cooking. When the meat is done, add 2 stock cubes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pepper, ogiri Igbo and ground crayfish and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cocoyam paste in small lumps and then the palm oil. Cover the pot and leave to cook on high heat till all the cocoyam lumps have dissolved. You can add more water if you feel that the soup is too thick. Add the ora (oha) leaves and leave to cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and the soup is ready to be served with Eba, Cassava Fufu, Semolina, Amala or Pounded Yam.
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How to Make Agidi or Eko

Nigerian Agidi or Eko is Nigeria's Jello sort of. It is made with corn flour. The process is very similar to how to make Ogi but with a slight difference. Agidi or Eko tastes so good with hot Akara or Pepper Soup. Watch me eat it with Pepper Soup here. What you will need to make Agidi or Eko Corn Flour: 1 cup Cold water: 700mls (approx. 25 fl. oz. ) Preparation If you are in Nigeria you should be able to buy the wet corn starch known as Ogi or Akamu. If you are outside Nigerian then you should be using corn flour. Ensure that the corn flour you buy is very fine. In Europe I can buy the corn flour known as Maizena. I love it because it is very fine and has the sour taste of Ogi or Akamu. This makes it taste as good as the Agidi that is made in Nigeria. Mix the corn starch/flour with the 700 mls of cold water in a pot. Please add water bit by bit because that's the best way to get a good mixture without lumps. If you are using Akamu or Ogi, add water till you get the consistency shown in the video below. Place the pot on the stove and set the heating to medium low. Stir continuously with a wooden spatula. You don't have to stir in one direction. Just make sure you are constantly stirring the mixture. After some time, you will notice the corn starch mixture begin to thicken. Continue stirring because if you stop, lumps will form and you do not want that. If you are stirring continously and lumps are still forming, it means the heat is too much so reduce the heat. When it has completely thickened like Custard, pour some water to the sides of the Agidi, cover the pot and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir well to mix the Agidi with the water. To check that the Agidi is done, put a small quantity into some cold water. If it sets after cooling down then the Agidi is done. Transfer to containers and leave to cool down completely at room temperature. You can also wrap them in Uma leaves to get the classic Agidi shape. Watch me wrap mine in the video below. lol! Serve with hot Akara or piping hot Nigerian Pepper Soup. They are great partners to Agidi.
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Ogbono Soup

Ogbono Soup also known as Draw Soup makes eating Fufu Recipes so easy because of its slimy nature which helps the lumps of fufu slide down. If your kids do not like Okra Soup because of the chunks of Okra, then try Ogbono Soup, they will surely love it. How to Cook Ogbono Soup [Video] Some people like their Ogbono soup plain, with no added vegetables, others would not touch it unless there is some kind of vegetable in it. A third group love their Ogbono Soup with Okra. Some people even go fancy and add Egusi to it. Be sure to check out the following link where you'll find more tips for preparing Ogbono Soup. Ogbono Soup: Frequently Asked Questions Ingredients for Ogbono Soup Assorted Meat and Fish: Beef, Shaki, DryFish, Stock Fish Ogbono Seeds: 2 handfuls Palm Oil: 3 Cooking spoons Vegetable: Frozen Spinach (you can also use Pumpkin leaves or even Bitterleaf) Crayfish: 1 handful Pepper and Salt - To taste 1 medium size Onion 2 Stock cubes (Maggi/Knorr) Before you cook Ogbono Soup Grind the Ogbono with a dry mill. Cut the frozen spinach when it is not completely defrosted. It is easier that way. Then when completely defrosted, squeeze out the excess water. Cook the assorted meat with the stock cubes and onion. If you will use Shaki, remember to start cooking that first, then add beef when almost done. Grind crayfish and pepper. Boil some water and set aside. Cooking Directions for Ogbono Soup Pour the palm oil into a clean dry stainless steel or aluminium pot. Set on the stove and melt the oil at low heat. Remember, only melt the oil, do not allow it to heat up. Once melted, turn off the heat and add the ground Ogbono. Use your cooking spoon to dissolve the Ogbono in the oil. When all the Ogbono powder has completely mixed with the oil, add the meat/fish stock (water from cooking the assorted meat and fish). Set the heat of your cooker to low and start stirring. You will notice the Ogbono start to thicken and draw. Keep stirring till the Ogbono has completely absorbed the meat stock. Add a small quantity of the hot water and stir till the Ogbono has absorbed all the water. Repeat this process till you get a consistency that is shown in the video below. Making sure that your heat is set to low, cover the pot and start cooking. Once it starts to simmer, stir every 2-3 minutes for 20 minutes. So what you'll do is: every 3 minutes or so, open the pot, stir every well, scraping the Ogbono that sticks to the base of the pot, cover the pot and cook for another 3 minutes. After 20 minutes, the Ogbono should be well cooked and you will begin to perceive its nice flavour and aroma. Add the assorted meat and fish, ground crayfish, salt and pepper to taste. The Ogbono may have become thicker from the cooking. If so, add a little bit more water and stir very well. Cover and cook till the contents of the pot is well heated up. If you prefer your Ogbono Soup without vegetables, turn off the heat and serve but if you like to add a vegetable then keep reading :) When the contents of the pot have heated up, add the vegetable (frozen Spinach used in the video). Stir very well, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes and serve with any Fufu recipe. Frequently Asked Questions about Ogbono Soup My Ogbono Soup does not draw. Why? There are 3 main reasons why your Ogbono Soup does not draw. You bought the wrong seeds. There is another seed that looks so much like Ogbono and is sold as Ogbono seeds in Nigerian markets. First sign that you are buying the wrong seeds is if they are too cheap to be true. To confirm that the seeds are really Ogbono seeds: break the seed and rub the broken sides together, if they make a sap that draws, then you've got the real Ogbono seeds. In Nigeria, every open market seller should let you do this "drawing test", if not, please leave their shop and go somewhere else. For those living outside Nigeria, I guess you just have to pray that the Ogbono seeds in the pack you buy are the real thing :) Another reason why your Ogbono Soup does not draw may be because you used packaged ground Ogbono, ground being the keyword here. This is especially the case for those who live outside Nigeria who do not have any choice than to buy the ground packaged Ogbono sold in African shops. Once you grind Ogbono, it starts losing its potency to draw and with time, it won't draw anymore. The exact time at which it completely loses its potency to draw will depend on: how dry the Ogbono was before the grinding took place and how well it is packaged amongst other things. The third reason why your Ogbono Soup does not draw is that you fried it before adding the meat/fish stock. The ground Ogbono should only be dissolved in the palm oil NOT fried. The more you fry it, the more it loses its drawing ability till you've got no potency left. This happens even if it is the authentic Ogbono seed. How can I cook Ogbono Soup so that it does not burn? First, turn down the heat. Whatever you are cooking, turn down the heat to prevent burning. This is especially the case with Ogbono Soup which is very sticky. Always cook your Ogbono Soup at very low heat. If your cooker's heating ranges from 1 to 9, set the heat to 4. Secondly, do not add crayfish or any other ingredients when cooking the Ogbono at first. Crayfish especially speeds up the burning. When you grind your Ogbono in Nigerian markets, they will tell you to use crayfish to make sure all the Ogbono comes out of the mill. If you decide to do that, make sure that they put the crayfish and that last bit of Ogbono in a different plastic bag for you and add the crayfish bit when you add the rest of the ingredients. Also, use stainless steel or aluminium pots in cooking your Ogbono Soup. Non-stick pots are not the best for cooking Ogbono Soup even though it says non-stick lol! My Ogbono Soup tastes bland in spite of all the ingredients I usually add to it. Why is this? One reason Ogbono Soup will taste bland even after adding enough ingredients is that you did not cook it long enough. I have seen a lot of people cook Ogbono for only 5 minutes. That's not enough. Ogbono, once added, should be cooked for at least 20 minutes on low heat. This is the time at which the taste begins to come out and blend with the ingredients. Another reason is maybe because the Ogbono seeds have gone mouldy in which case, it will have a slightly bitter taste too.
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How to Make Dry Bitter Leaves Fresh

This procedure details how to make washed and dried bitter leaves soft so it will be like freshly washed leaves suitable for preparing Bitterleaf Soup. The process will also remove the bitterness from the bitter leaves. Sometimes you can't help but miss motherland where you had access to freshly washed bitter leaves. The dry leaves make your Bitterleaf Soup taste like cardboard, right? Your nightmare is over when you learn these easy steps. You will need: Dry Bitter Leaves Food Tenderiser (Akanwu) Water Plastic Bags Sieve Big Pot Stove/Cooker Procedure Wash the dry bitter leaves and place in a plastic bag. Use several bags if you are tenderising a large quantity as this enables the leaves to soften faster. The job of the plastic bag is to create pressure around the dry bitter leaves during the cooking process. A titanium plastic bag without holes works best for this purpose. Titanium so that it can withstand the heat and having no holes will make it airtight. The more airtight it is, the faster the dry bitter leaves will soften. Spread powdered food tenderiser (akanwu) on the bitter leaves and ruffle the bag to distribute well. Tie the handles of the bag(s) in such a way that the bag(s) are air-tight. Place in a big pot, pour some water and start cooking. Leave to boil for about 1 hour, turn off the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the bitter leaves into a bowl, pour cold water and start washing, rubbing the leaves together just as when handwashing a cloth. This is to remove all traces of bitterness and the tenderiser as much as possible. At first the water will be as dark as Guinness Stout® so change the water often till you have clean leaves with as little foam as possible. When you feel that the bitter leaves have been thoroughly washed, squeeze the leaves to remove as much water as possible. Place in plastic bags or containers and store in the freezer for future use. It is advisable to boil considerable quantities at a time so that it will last you a while. This saves the cooking time whenever you want to prepare Bitterleaf Soup.
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How to Cook Nigerian Egusi Soup

The Nigerian Egusi soup, prepared with melon seeds, is native to the southern part of Nigeria - Igbos and Yorubas. Nigerian Egusi Soup Recipe [Video] Egusi soup is also one of the most popular soups for all Nigerians and non-Nigerians that like Nigerian fufu recipes. It is known as Miyan Gushi in Hausa. Ingredients Egusi (Melon) seeds - 3 cigar cups | 600g Red Palm Oil – 2 cooking spoons Beef – Best cut and Shaki (cow tripe) Fish – Dry Fish and Stock Fish Crayfish Pepper and Salt to taste Vegetable – Pumpkin leaves or Bitter leaf Seasoning – 3 Maggi or Knorr cubes Traditional Seasoning – 1 Okpei (optional) Tools I used Cooker: Buy it in USA | in UK Deep Pot: Buy it in USA | in UK Spice grinder for grinding egusi (melon) seeds: Buy it in USA | in UK Spatula: Buy it in USA | in UK Chopping board: Buy it in USA | in UK Knives: Buy it in USA | in UK Before you cook Egusi Soup Before preparing the soup, soak the dry fish for about half an hour. Boil the stockfish for 20 minutes and leave in the pot with the hot water to soak for about an hour. Much closer to your cooking time, grind the Egusi with a dry mill. Grind the crayfish and the dry pepper separately and set aside. Wash the vegetable to be used. Cut into tiny pieces. Boil the shaki, stock fish and dry fish in 1 litre of water till they are well done. First sign of a done shaki is that the cuts will start curling on itself. Wash the beef to be used for the soup and place in a pot and start steaming at medium heat. There is no need to add water at this stage. When the meat is done, add 3 cubes of Maggi/Knorr. This method makes the meat cook faster while retaining all the taste. Also meat contains lots of water and you will notice that the water content increases as the meat starts to boil. Cooking Directions There are two main methods of cooking egusi soup. These we will call oil before egusi and egusi before oil. Confusing? Not. Oil Before Egusi Put 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil into a dry pot and set on the stove to heat. As soon as the oil is clearer, add the ground egusi and start frying. This should be done at low heat to avoid burning. Keep frying till you see the egusi getting drier. One sign of this is that it will start sticking to the bottom of the pot. Now, start adding the shaki/fish stock little by little while still turning the egusi. When the stock is exhausted and you feel that the soup is still too thick, you can add more water. If your choice of vegetable is bitterleaf, it should be added now as well. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. The egusi is done when you notice that the oil has risen to the surface of the mix and separated from the mix. If this is the case, add the fish, shaki and meat. Also add pepper and salt to taste. If pumpkin leaves (or any other soft vegetable) is your choice, please add it now. Cover the pot and leave everything to steam together for 5 minutes. The egusi soup is ready to be served with amala, Eba (garri), pounded yam or cassava fufu. Egusi Before Oil This method produces a healthier egusi soup. This is because there is no frying involved. In this method, as soon as the shaki, fish and meat are done, remove them from the stock (water used in cooking the meat and fish) and place in a different pot or plate. Add the ground egusi to the stock and stir. If the stock from cooking your meat and fish is small, add some water to the same level as the egusi. Cover and cook till the egusi cakes. Stir and add a little bit more water. watch it closely so that it does not burn. Repeat step 3, adding only a small quantity of water at a time. After about 25 minutes, you will notice the clear egusi oil coming to the surface of the soup. Add 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil and bitter leaves (if it is your choice of vegetable), pepper and salt to taste and cook for about 7 minutes. Add the the meat and fish. If using pumpkin leaves or any other soft vegetable, add it at this time, stir the soup and leave to simmer for 2 minutes maximum. Turn off the heat. Leave to stand for 2 minutes before serving. The egusi soup is ready to be served with Eba (Garri), Agidi, Amala, Semolina, Tuwo Shinkafa, Pounded Yam or Cassava Fufu.
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