ABACHA (AFRICAN SALAD) Health Benefits and how to prepare it

Abacha is a dish mainly prepared by the south- eastern people (Igbos) of Nigeria  and is prepared with dried shredded cassava. This exotic delicacy is one of my favorite Nigerian meals and so I am sharing it with you my readers so that you could also enjoy it too.



RECIPE

SERVES: 5 People

COOKING TIME: 30 minutes


MAIN INGREDIENT; SHREDDED CASSAVA

Ingredients

400g Abacha (dried shredded cassava)
1 cup, Palm Oil
6 Garden Eggs, diced
Stockfish- 10 pieces, spiced and cooked
10 pieces of Kpomo, spiced and cooked
100g Ugba, sliced
1tbsp Garden Egg leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp Potash
1 Seasoning cube
Chilli Pepper to taste
2 tbsp ground Crayfish
Boiling water
Salt to taste

Directions

Season and cook the stockfish and kpomo
Soak the abacha in cold water for about 10minutes
Drain out the cold water, pour boiling water over it and quickly drain out the water
Let it sit in a colander for about 5minutes
Dissolve the potash in water and then stir with the palm oil in a pot
Place on heat and add the pepper, crayfish and seasoning
Stir properly then add the ugba,chopped garden eggs,the stockfish and kpomo
Add the add abacha and mix properly allowing all the ingredients to blend
Garnish with chopped garden egg leaves
Add salt to taste

Abacha Ncha is a rich diet because it contains potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous and zinc in varying compositions. The level of iron content in the prepared local salad is an indication that the diet can serve as good source of both haem and non-haem iron (naturally occurring compound in meat, fish and poultry).

The local salad is rich in nutrients, as other ingredients like crayfish, chili pepper, garden egg leaves, potash, stockfish, and garden eggs are usually added to it. As such, the meal contributes 18.7 per cent energy, 22.7 per cent protein, 21.3 per cent crude fibre, 51.3 per cent iron, 30.3 per cent phosphorus and 36.0 per cent zinc to daily recommended dietary allowances.

To make for all-round nutrition, it is advisable to consume Abacha Ncha with other foods like coconut and peanuts. Source:L.O.S Beauty blog and The Punch news