Yam and Vegetable Sauce Recipe (Ji Abubo)

Ji Abubo is one of the most traditional Igbo delicacies. I look forward to a visit to grandma's place because I am sure to eat either Ji Abubo or Abacha when I get there. Prepare this for the traditional Igbo man in your life and he will fall in love with you all over again!

Ingredients

• 1kg (2.2 lbs) white puna yam
• 200g Nigerian pumpkin leaves
• Palm oil 200g
• ukpaka (shredded oil bean seeds)
• Ogiri Igbo (castor bean paste)
• 1 Habanero/Scotch
• Bonnet pepper or to taste Salt (to taste)

Notes about the ingredients

Puna yam is sweet and starchy and is the yam we use for most Nigerian yam recipes.

The pumpkin leaves stated above are not halloween pumpkin leaves. They are Nigerian pumpkin leaves: Telfairia occidentalis. If you do not have those, use spinach. That's what I used in the video below with great results.

Add palm oil till you get the consistency you like. For the authentic taste palm oil is very important to this recipe, vegetable oil or any other oil cannot be used as alternative.

Ogiri Igbo gives the sauce the very traditional taste. If you do not have it, use stock cubes.

Before you prepare the Ji AbuboWash the yam thoroughly with plenty of water and a sponge. Do not peel the yam.

Slice into desired shapes and sizes for example the half-moon slices.

Rinse the ukpaka and place in a foil bag or plastic bag. My grandma uses leaves to wrap the ukpaka.

Wash the vegetables and tie them up with strings.

Cooking Directions

• Boil the yam, vegetable and ukpaka

• Put the yam pieces in a pot and pour water to cover the yams.

• Place the tied vegetables and wrapped ukpaka on top and cook till the ukpaka and vegetables are soft.Continue cooking the yam if not done.

• Make the vegetable sauce

• Pound the habanero pepper in a mortar till smooth.

• When the ukpaka and pumpkin leaves are soft (from step 2 above), pound them in the same mortar one after the other till they are as smooth as possible.

• Add palm oil to the blend till you get a consistency you like and mix very well.

• Add salt and ogiri Igbo to your taste and mix with the pestle till everything is well incorporated.

• Dish in a serving bowl and set aside.

• Check the yam

• Once the yam is well done, decant the water and place the yams in a serving plate or tray.

Ji Abubo should be served piping hot to complement the cold vegetable sauce.

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Nigerian Edikang Ikong Soup Recipe

The Nigerian Edikang Ikong soup or simply Vegetable Soup is native to the Efiks, people from Akwa Ibom and Cross River states of Nigeria. It is a general notion that the Edikang Ikong soup is very nutritious and this is very much so. Prepared with a generous quantity of pumpkin leaves and water leaves, this Nigerian soup recipe is nourishing in every sense of the word.

It is common for Nigerians to request this soup recipe after a bout of illness as we trust it to replenish whatever was lost during the sickness. But you don't not need to be in a state of convalescence to enjoy this wholesome Nigerian food recipe.

Ingredients for Edikang Ikong Soup

• 1kg Pumpkin leaves
• 500g Water leaves (Talinum Triangulare)
• 600g Beef, Kanda, shaki and Dry fish
• Pepper, Salt and ground crayfish: to taste
• 200ml Palm oil
• 1 cup Periwinkle
• 2 medium onions
• 2-3 stock cubes

Alternative vegetables for those who cannot buy water leaves and pumpkin leaves:

Use the following to replace the classic Nigerian vegetables for this soup:

1kg normal frozen spinach 200g ground frozen spinach 250g lamb's lettuce (canonigos in Spanish)

Defrost the frozen spinach, cut the normal frozen one into tiny pieces and mix with the ground frozen spinach.

Wring out the water from these and add them when the written recipe requires you to add the pumpkin leaves.

Wash, pick and cut the Lamb's Lettuce into tiny pieces. Add them when the written recipe requires you to add water leaves.

You may used alternative vegetables to prepare Edikang Ikong soup.

Before you cook the Edikaikong Soup

Wash and cut the pumpkin and water leaves into tiny pieces. Put them in separate sieves to drain out all the water as much as possible.

Cut the Kanda into small pieces. Cook the beef, kanda and the dry fish with the 2 bulbs of diced onions and the stock cubes with as little quantity of water as possible.

Cooking Directions

When the meat is done, add a generous amount of palm oil, the crayfish and pepper and leave to boil for about 10 minutes. The palm oil serves as the liquid in the Edikang Ikong soup. You should try as much as possible to make it the only liquid in the soup.

Add the periwinkle and water leaves and leave to cook for another 5 minutes. You may have to cook for less time at this stage so that the water leaves are not over-cooked.Now add the pumpkin leaves and salt to taste. Stir the contents of the pot very well and turn off the heat. Cover the pot and leave to stand for about 5 minutes.

Thats it!

Serve with Garri (Eba), Semolina Fufu, Amala, Cassava Fufu or Pounded Yam.

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Unripe Plantain Porridge Recipe

This fast and easy recipe is cooked with unripe plantains which are known to be rich in iron.

Ingredients

• 3 unripe plantains
• A big bunch of Nigerian pumpkin leaves (or Frozen Spinach: 10 cubes)
• 1 medium fish (Mackerel)
• 1-2 teaspoons ground crayfish
• 2 medium onions Red palm Oil: enough to colour the meal Pepper and Salt (to taste) 2 big stock cubes

Before you cook Unripe Plantain Porridge

Wash, peel and cut up the plantain as shown.

How to cut unripe plantain

Rinse and cut the pumpkin leaves into small pieces. If you will be using frozen spinach, allow to thaw just enough to let you cut them into tiny pieces. Leave to thaw completely and squeeze out the extra water using a sieve.

Wash, cut and remove the fish intestines. Grind the crayfish and pepper.

Cooking Directions

• Put the cut plantain in a pot.
• Add the chopped onions, stock cubes, fish, ground crayfish and pepper.
• Add water to the same level as the contents of the pot.
• Cook till the contents start to boil.
• Add the red palm oil and salt to taste.
• Cover the pot and keep cooking till done.
• This is when the plantain is tender to touch.
• Add the vegetables, cover the pot and leave to simmer.

Once it has heated up, stir, turn off the heat and leave to stand for at least five minutes before serving.

Serve with chilled soft drink or fruit juice.

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Bitterleaf Soup Recipe

Bitterleaf soup is one of the most traditional soups in Nigeria. It is native to the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria.

The name is quite misleading in that a well prepared Bitterleaf Soup should not have even the slightest bitterness. This is achieved by washing and squeezing the bitter leaves (and changing the water at intervals) till all traces of bitterness has been washed off.

One will be deemed a bad cook if his/her Bitterleaf soup tastes bitter!

Ingredients

Washed and squeezed bitterleaf
A handful 10 small corms Cocoyam
3 cooking spoons Red Palm Oil

Assorted Beef: Includes best cut, shaki (cow tripe)

Assorted Fish: Dry Fish and Stock Fish Pepper
Salt and ground crayfish (to taste)
3 stock cubes 1 teaspoon Ogiri Igbo (traditional seasoning)

Notes about the ingredients:

If you are outside Nigeria, you can use dried, washed and squeezed bitter leaves but you need to first of all make the bitter leaves soft and fresh again before adding them to the soup.

If you cannot buy cocoyam corms where you live, you can use cocoyam flour. An alternative to cocoyam flour is potato flour. See how to prepare the cocoyam flour or potato flour before adding it to your soup at: How to Cook Nigerian Soups with Flour as Thickener.

Ogiri Igbo is optional, it gives Bitterleaf Soup a traditional taste.

Before you cook Bitterleaf Soup

Make sure that the bitter leaves are well washed, such that there is no trace of bitterness left. If not, wash and squeeze it more. If the bitterness cannot be completely washed off (which is usually the case with most washed bitter leaves sold in the market), boil it for about 15 minutes and wash in cold water.

How to pound cocoyam

Wash and cook the cocoyam till soft. Remove the peels and use a mortar and pestle to pound the corms to a smooth paste (as shown).

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 3 cubes of Maggi/Knorr and cook for 5 minutes.

How to add cocoyam to the soup

Add pepper, ground crayfish, bitter leaves (if they have not been parboiled) and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the cocoyam paste (in small lumps) and the palm oil then go to step 5.

Note: If the bitter leaves were parboiled to remove the bitterness, then for step 3; add pepper, ground crayfish, the cocoyam paste (in small lumps), the bitter leaves and the palm oil. In other words, add all the ingredients at this stage.

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 salt to taste and the soup is ready Serve with Garri (Eba), Semolina Fufu, Amala, Cassava Fufu or Pounded Yam.

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Nigerian Yam Porridge

Yam Porridge can also be referred to as yam soup. It is mainly yam cooked with ingredients and the resulting dish contains some soupy liquid. It is usually not cooked with added vegetables but I always add a little to add some green colour to the meal.

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) white puna yam
• Red palm Oil (to colour)
• 1 smoked fish (mackerel)
• 1 tablespoon ground crayfish
• 1 medium onion
• Fresh green vegetable (eg pumpkin, parsley, scent leaf or green amaranth)
• Habanero or Chilli Pepper & Salt (to taste)
• 2 big stock cubes

Notes about the ingredients

• Add enough red palm oil to make the meal colourful.
• You can use dry fish instead of smoked fish.

Before you cook Yam Porridge

• Peel and cut the yam tuber into medium sizes.
• Wash the yam cubes and place in a sizeable pot.
• Wash and cut the onions into tiny pieces.
• Grind or blend the chilli pepper.
• Set these aside.

If using dry fish, soak and pick the bones.

Cooking Directions

• Pour enough water to cover the yam cubes and start cooking at medium to high heat. If you are using dry fish, add it now.
• When the yams have got a good boil, add the onions, ground crayfish, pepper, stock cubes, palm oil and the smoked fish.
• Cover the pot and continue cooking till the yam is done.
• Add salt to taste and stir very well.
• Cook at high heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add the green vegetable, stir and leave to stand for about 5 minutes then serve.
• Yam porridge is usually eaten alone but you can serve it with Fried Plantain.

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Nigerian Egg Stew Recipe

Egg stew is often mistaken for Tomato Omelette. Both are not quite the same. Yes, they are both prepared with the same ingredients, just not in the same quantities. While Tomato Omelette consists mainly of eggs, Egg Stew has more of tomatoes. Also, Egg stew is not "set" like Tomato Omelette.

Egg Stew is very easy to prepare and it spices up some Nigerian staple foods.

Ingredients

• 2 Eggs
• 4 medium plum tomatoes (Tomato Jos)
• 1 medium onion
• Salt & Dry Pepper (to taste)
• 1 stock cube
• 2 cooking spoons of vegetable oil

Before you Cook the Egg Stew

• Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and cut into big slices.
• Also cut the onion into big slices (see video).
• Beat the two eggs, add a pinch of salt and set aside.

Cooking the Nigerian Egg Stew

Heat the vegetable oil in a pot, when hot, lower the heat to medium.

• Add the onions and stir for about 2 minutes.

• Add the tomatoes, stir for a bit and cover the pot. This is so that the tomatoes and onions do not dry up too quickly. Stir from time to time though.

• After about 5 minutes, add the ground pepper, salt and seasoning.

• Keep stirring till the tomato is completely soft and separated from the oil.

• Slowing pour the egg in a circular motion. Do NOT stir. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low to allow the egg to "cake". You want the egg to form lumps in the stew rather than look mushy.

• Egg stew is the best thing that ever happened to Boiled Yam and Boiled Potatoes. You can also serve it with White Rice, Fried Yam, Fried Plantain or Potatoes. And it does many things to plain sliced bread. :)

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Nigerian Tomato Stew Recipe

By Tomato Stew, I mean stew used to prepare the Nigerian Jollof Rice recipes: Jollof Rice, Coconut Rice, Rice & Beans, etc. This tomato stew also forms the base for the Nigerian Beef & Chicken Stew. I always prepare a large quantity of this tomato stew and store in my freezer. This makes cooking my Nigerian Jollof Rice, Spaghetti Surprise and other meals where I use Tomato Stew so easy.

Please note that this tomato stew does not have any seasoning and other ingredients because it is just a base. If you watch my Nigerian Jollof Rice, Nigerian Coconut Rice and my Nigerian Spaghetti Surprise videos, this is the tomato stew that I added while cooking those meals.

I get a good number of questions about what I mean by tomato stew and how I make it, that's why I made this page and the video below.

Add beef/chicken or both, thyme, curry, Knorr, salt and pepper to Tomato Stew to get the Beef & Chicken Stew used to eat boiled white rice.

Ingredients for Nigerian Tomato Stew

• 3.2kg (7lbs) fresh Plum Tomatoes (referred to as Jos Tomatoes in Nigeria, tomate pera in Spanish and pomodoro pera in Italian)
• 400g (14oz) tinned tomato paste: (or watery tinned Tomato Puree: 800g)
• Vegetable Oil: a generous quantity
• 2 onions

Important notes on the ingredients

Tomatoes: Plum tomatoes are the best for the Nigerian Tomato Stew (and other Nigerian recipes) because all the other types of tomatoes either have a very strong taste, have lots of seeds or contain lots of water. You can also use Roma Tomatoes because it is very similar to plum tomatoes.
Vegetable Oil: There's always a debate about this one. But I will insist that you need more than enough oil when frying the tomatoes. This is so that the tomatoes will not burn till all the sour taste is gone and the water has dried from the tomatoes. You will pour out the excess oil when the tomatoes are well fried. Just think about this as "sort of" deep frying the tomatoes. Not that you'll need that much oil but you get the gist.

If you don't use enough oil, your stew will have a sour taste and it will burn even if you stand there stirring frantically :( Cooking should be fun, not tedious. And why worry when you'll pour out the excess oil when you are done? In my opinion, anybody worried about his/her health should stay away from this stew because it is fried.

This oil you pour out is red hence it is perfect for cooking Egusi Soup, Okra Soup and Ogbono Soup for those who cannot buy or do not want to use palm oil.

Once it has cooled down, put it in the fridge or freezer because it will go bad if left on the kitchen counter.

Tinned tomato paste/puree: The tinned tomato paste sold in Nigeria is usually very thick and concentrated. If you try to fry this tomato paste as is, it will burn straight away. What I normally do is to add some water to it to bring it to the softer consistency.

There are other types of tomato purees sold in Europe and the rest of the world and these are usually watery. If that is the only type you can buy, then you need to cook it with the fresh tomato puree (as explained below) to get it to dry up a bit and get rid of the sour taste before frying.

One more thing; the tinned tomato paste/puree is optional. Its job is to improve the redness of the tomato stew, making it look richer and more appetizing. If you don't want to use it, replace with fresh plum tomatoes. In Nigeria, it is common to use tatashe (Nigerian big red peppers) to improve the redness of the tomato stew.

Please note that tatashe is not the same as bell peppers.

Feel free to vary the ratio of fresh plum tomatoes to conc. tomato paste. If you want the stew very red and conc. especially if you want to use it too cook Jollof Rice for a large crowd, increase the quantity of tomato paste you will use for a specific quantity of plum tomatoes.

Before you cook Tomato StewWash and blend the fresh plum tomatoes. Remember to remove the seeds unless you are sure your blender can grind them very well.If using the thick tinned tomato paste that is common in Nigeria, mix it with cold water to get a softer consistency.

If you are using the watery tinned tomato puree that is common in Europe and other parts of the world, open the tins or packets and set these aside, you'll need them soon.Cut the onions into small pieces.

Cooking Directions

• Pour the fresh tomato blend into a pot and cook at high heat till almost all the water has dried. If you have the watery tinned/boxed tomato puree, add these to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook till the water in the tomato puree have dried as much as possible.

• Add the vegetable oil, the chopped onions and the thick tomato puree that you mixed in step 2 above (if it's the puree you are using). Stir very well.

• Fry at very low heat and stir at short intervals till the oil has completely separated from the tomato puree. A well fried tomato puree will also have streaks of oil, unlike when you first added the oil and it was a smooth mix of the tomato puree and oil.

• Taste the fried tomato puree to make sure that the raw tomato taste is gone. With time and experience, you can even tell that the tomato puree is well fried from the aroma alone.

If you are happy with the taste and you are sure that all the water has dried as much as possible, pour out the excess vegetable oil, then add the well fried tomato stew to your cooking.

• If you are not using it immediately, leave to cool down, dish in containers and store in the freezer.

• To use, bring out from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature and use in your Nigerian Jollof Rice, Nigerian Coconut Rice, Nigerian Rice & Beans, Spaghetti Surprise.

• Add pepper, seasoning, chicken, beef, fish, turkey etc to get the Nigerian Beef & Chicken Stew used for eating Nigerian Boiled White Rice and other Nigerian staple food.

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