HOW TO PREPARE DELICIOUS UGBA: COUNTRY SIDE DISHES WITH SUSAN
countryside kitchen with Susan
How to Prepare Ugba
Ugba is one of the Nigerian traditional Igbo meal prepared the same way as Abacha (African Salad) but with Ugba, instead of using ugba/ukpaka as just a side ingredient, it is the main ingredient.
How to prepare Ugba
Ugba is like cooking only Ukwa (Breadfruit). Ugba (Ukpaka) is known as an exclusive and expensive ingredient
Ingredients for Ugba
I used:
3 handfuls ugba (ukpaka)
½ cup red palm oil
1 habanero pepper (atarodo, ose oyibo)
1 teaspoon powdered edible potash (alternative: baking soda)
1 big stock cube
½ teaspoon ogiri Igbo
2 big pieces of ponmo (cow skin)
1 big cut stockfish
1 handful crayfish or 2 tablespoons ground crayfish
10 medium crayfish
Salt (to taste)
For serving:
1 red onion
1 small bunch of garden egg leaves (akwúkwó añara)
1 chunk of stockfish or dry fish (optional)
Before you prepare Ugba
Rinse the ugba/ukpaka and place in a sieve to drain.
Cook the stockfish and ponmo with the stock cube till done. Take them off from the pot. If the stock from cooking them is too much, keep boiling till most of it has evaporated and you have about a quarter cup of stock. If using smoked fish to replace stockfish, do not cook it, just break into small pieces with your fingers and add in Step 4 in the preparation directions.
When the stockfish and ponmo have cooled down, cut them into small pieces (see video) and set aside. If you want to serve the Ugba with a lump of stockfish, remember to cook that one with the first one but do not break it into pieces.
Dissolve the edible potash or baking soda in half cup of cool water and set aside. If using edible potash, stir very well and pass the mixture through a fine sieve and set the resulting liquid aside.
Cut the habanero peppers (atarodo, ose oyibo) into tiny pieces.
Break up the medium crayfish into small pieces with your fingers.
Grind or pound the normal crayfish if you do not have already ground ones.
Cut the red onion into rings and set aside. This is for garnish.
Rinse and slice the garden egg leaves. This is also for garnish.
Directions for preparing the Ugba
Pour the palm oil in a pot. This is done off the stove. But if you need to melt the red palm oil, you can melt it and take off the stove once the palm oil melts.
Stir the edible potash solution or the baking soda solution then slowly pour into the palm oil while stirring at the same time. You will notice the palm oil slowly turn yellow and curdle (become thicker).
Add the ogiri Igbo to one corner of the pot/pan and dissolve it with your spatula.
Add the ground crayfish, the pieces of medium crayfish, the pieces of stockfish and ponmo then stir till everything is combined. If using smoked fish, add it now before stirring.
Transfer the pot/pan to a stove and set the heat to medium.
Add the ugba/ukpaka, sliced habanero pepper and the stock from cooking the stockfish and ponmo.
Continue stirring till everything is combined and once it heats up, add salt to your taste, stir again and take it off the stove.
That's it!
Serve with the sliced garden egg leaves and onion
Post By: Susan Ejuojo
Facebook: CountryStyle Kitchen
How to Prepare Ugba
Ugba is one of the Nigerian traditional Igbo meal prepared the same way as Abacha (African Salad) but with Ugba, instead of using ugba/ukpaka as just a side ingredient, it is the main ingredient.
How to prepare Ugba
Ugba is like cooking only Ukwa (Breadfruit). Ugba (Ukpaka) is known as an exclusive and expensive ingredient
Ingredients for Ugba
I used:
3 handfuls ugba (ukpaka)
½ cup red palm oil
1 habanero pepper (atarodo, ose oyibo)
1 teaspoon powdered edible potash (alternative: baking soda)
1 big stock cube
½ teaspoon ogiri Igbo
2 big pieces of ponmo (cow skin)
1 big cut stockfish
1 handful crayfish or 2 tablespoons ground crayfish
10 medium crayfish
Salt (to taste)
For serving:
1 red onion
1 small bunch of garden egg leaves (akwúkwó añara)
1 chunk of stockfish or dry fish (optional)
Before you prepare Ugba
Rinse the ugba/ukpaka and place in a sieve to drain.
Cook the stockfish and ponmo with the stock cube till done. Take them off from the pot. If the stock from cooking them is too much, keep boiling till most of it has evaporated and you have about a quarter cup of stock. If using smoked fish to replace stockfish, do not cook it, just break into small pieces with your fingers and add in Step 4 in the preparation directions.
When the stockfish and ponmo have cooled down, cut them into small pieces (see video) and set aside. If you want to serve the Ugba with a lump of stockfish, remember to cook that one with the first one but do not break it into pieces.
Dissolve the edible potash or baking soda in half cup of cool water and set aside. If using edible potash, stir very well and pass the mixture through a fine sieve and set the resulting liquid aside.
Cut the habanero peppers (atarodo, ose oyibo) into tiny pieces.
Break up the medium crayfish into small pieces with your fingers.
Grind or pound the normal crayfish if you do not have already ground ones.
Cut the red onion into rings and set aside. This is for garnish.
Rinse and slice the garden egg leaves. This is also for garnish.
Directions for preparing the Ugba
Pour the palm oil in a pot. This is done off the stove. But if you need to melt the red palm oil, you can melt it and take off the stove once the palm oil melts.
Stir the edible potash solution or the baking soda solution then slowly pour into the palm oil while stirring at the same time. You will notice the palm oil slowly turn yellow and curdle (become thicker).
Add the ogiri Igbo to one corner of the pot/pan and dissolve it with your spatula.
Add the ground crayfish, the pieces of medium crayfish, the pieces of stockfish and ponmo then stir till everything is combined. If using smoked fish, add it now before stirring.
Transfer the pot/pan to a stove and set the heat to medium.
Add the ugba/ukpaka, sliced habanero pepper and the stock from cooking the stockfish and ponmo.
Continue stirring till everything is combined and once it heats up, add salt to your taste, stir again and take it off the stove.
That's it!
Serve with the sliced garden egg leaves and onion
Post By: Susan Ejuojo
Facebook: CountryStyle Kitchen
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