4 Traditional Treats for the Weekend
By Chiomah Momah
Don’t we all love the relish of our own indigenous meals? Find 4 of my evergreen traditional meals with my special twist to preparing them:
1. Vegetable soup – Edikaikong
1 bunch of Ugwu or pumpkin leaves
1 bunch water leaves
1 tablespoon of crayfish
Dry fish
Stock fish
Assorted pieces of meat
1 cup of periwinkle (shelled or unshelled)
Goat meat
3 peppers
Seasoning cube
Salt to taste
Preparation
Wash the periwinkle with salt.
Boil the meat with assorted pieces, dry fish and stockfish. Add seasoning and salt.
When meat is boiled, add water leaves first, then after few minutes, add Ugwu. Cook for a few minutes and then add palm oil. You can add already cooked chicken and snails as well. Personally, I prefer to use unshelled periwinkles as I enjoy the process of sucking out each periwinkle.
2. Garden Egg Sauce
Garden egg is the main ingredient in this meal and is known as Anyara in Igbo and Igba in Yoruba. It’s eaten widely at celebrations in the east and is a popular native snack. It is rich in Vitamin C, folic acid and thiamine, amongst others. The garden egg sauce is popular in Edo State and usually prepared with snail. It’s usually served with yam but can also be eaten with boiled plantain, and when prepared with vegetable oil, can be served with rice.
Ingredients
10 big garden eggs (either the green or white variety, if these are not available, use aubergines)
1 small cup of palm oil
3 red peppers
1 seasoning cube
Snail or smoked fish
1 small onion
Ogiri okpei / Iru
Salt to taste
Preparation
Cut the garden egg into small pieces and blend in a blender. Alternatively, you can boil the garden eggs for a few minutes then pound in a mortar (the latter is the more popular method).
Chop the onion and fry in some heated palm oil. Add the pounded garden egg as well as already ground pepper and ogiri okpei. Fry for a few minutes and add the smoked fish and / or cooked snail. Serve with boiled yam.
NOTE: If you choose to blend the garden eggs, you have to fry it for a longer period of time.
3. Unripe Plantain Porridge
This fast and easy recipe is cooked with unripe plantains which are known to be rich in iron and very good for pregnant and lactating mothers.
Ingredients
4 fingers of unripe plantain
A big bunch of pumpkin leaves (Ugwu)
A handful of nchonwu/ effirin also locally called scent leaf (Basil)
1 cooking spoon of crayfish
1 large onion
1 cooking spoon of palm oil
Dry fish
Half smoked or cooked chicken
Cooked snail
2 peppers
Seasoning cube
Salt to taste
Preparation
Cut the unripe plantain into large cubes. Put in a pot and add chopped onion, crayfish and pepper (if chicken is uncooked add at this point). Add water and cook for 15 minutes or till soft. Add the seasoning cube and salt.
Add the smoked chicken and any other meats, smoked fish and / or
cooked snail. Add the chopped vegetables and allow to simmer.
4. Vegetable Soup- Afang
1 bunch of Fresh Okazi
1 cup of periwinkle
2 bunches of water leaves
1 spoon of crayfish
Dry fish
Stock fish
Meat and assorted pieces
Palm Oil
3 peppers
Maggi
Salt to taste
Preparation
Slice the Okazi thinly. When meat is boiled, add water leaves first, then after few minutes, add Ugwu. Cook for a few minutes and then add palm oil. You can add already cooked chicken and snails as well. Use unshelled periwinkles and enjoy sucking out each of them like I do.
Photo Credit: wivestownhallconnection.com
Yummy. Am going to try this
Yummy yummy am gon’ try the 4th one.
Now u are making me salivate. #diaisgodooo. Thanks for sharing d recipe.
I know how to cook all four *dancing
Can cook number 1,3,4. Dnt even fancy garden eggs for anytin oo talk more of using it 4 sauce? Eyesrolling* really gonna be bitter in my own mouth lolz
I know hw to prepare all except no2 wonder how it gonna teste
Hmm. I never knew I could prepare porridge with unripe plantain. Nice one MIM. Thanks
Knw hw to prepare n enjoy eating all except the garden sauce of a tin. Wonder hw it taste n luks like.
Wonderful recipes you have here MISM.Can vouch for all nos 1,3&4 as appetising cos I usually cook them especially when am pregnant. Wl have to try no 2 to know how good it is.thanks for sharing
Correct Akwa Ibom meals
Tnx 4 d recieps, no 3 is very gud 4 people trying 2 loose weight. Am gonna try no 2. I hear it helps 2 cleans d system too.
I do cook all, except that of garden egg, but I am going to try it. Nice tips.
Yummy
Nice meal.i do prepare the four delicacy.as a correct igbo lady.forget the yoruba name.but for number two i will try adding snail.
Hmmm..really nice dishes. I’m sure to give a try soon.
Hmmmm…..yummy yummy.love the presentations. Gonna try the unripe plantain cos I am acquainted to the rest
I so cooked plantain porridge today. Indeed its really good for pregnant and breastfeeding mamas like me. You could also add ugba to it. Yummy
Yummy yummy! I so cook all four as a correct akwa ibom woman. #Winks
Nice yummy dishes.!!! I can prepare them all. Lolz. Nice of you MISM.
All yummy. I do know how to prepare all except for no.2 which I definitely will try out.Thanks all de same.
Delicious meals Edikang ikong, afang and plantain porridege. My favourite and always prepared in my home. Efik woman all the way…….. Will try the garden egg sauce this week though I’m not a fan of garden egg
I cook no 1,2,3 deliciously, never heard of no 2, will love to try it someday, kudos MIM, you rock!
I can cook all 4 but I hate no3 but it is my husband favourite
Ok! Garden egg sauce on my mind cos I don’t joke with new recipis…. Thanks MIM.. Wish we mothers can share more of our native meal and even foreign, dishes and not just problems!
I can actually cook all,as my hubby is an akwa ibom man im vry conversant with 1 n 4. Although i dnt prepare mine ds way. The garden egg sauce is a blast especially wen eaten with boiled unripe plaintain.
Nice one, will try garden egg.
I think I would try it
Deliciously delicious!
d only one m yet to eat is dat okazi.n I m Gina gv it a try