CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Join Jaynnora on a tour to the Asian countries. Aha, we are cooking an Asian country delicacy-the noodle soup! This is so relishing that I can’t go for one month without having my pot welcoming this mouth-watering meal. Noodle soup is a combination of vegetables and noodle and of course , chicken. Noodle soup can be eaten with white or brown rice or whatever suits you. So, lets get going-to the kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 2 packs of noodles or a pack of pasta
• 1 bulb onion
• fresh pepper
• green beans
• fresh tomatoes
• cabbage
• Carrot
• Green Pepper
• chicken (2-3 thighs)
• Garlic and ginger
• Vegetable oil
• Chicken stock
• Seasoning and salt to taste

Step 1: Prepare the Vegetables- wash the onion, fresh pepper, green beans, fresh tomatoes, green pepper, cabbage and carrot. Dice each vegetable into a separate bowl/plate. Wash and cut the chicken thighs.

Step 2: Make the Chicken Stock- Pour the chicken into an empty pot, add salt and seasoning and allow it to cook but do not add any water(by not adding water, the chicken will be very soft after cooking). Watch it closely, once its undiluted stock is getting dry, add 1 or 2 cups of water and allow it to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and pick the chicken into an empty bowl using a slotted spoon. Set the stock aside. Shred the chicken by putting off the meat from the bone. Chop the chicken meat to desired sizes and set aside.

Step 3: Cook the Noodle or Pasta- Place a cup of water on the cooker, add half tablespoon of salt, bring it to simmer. Pour in the noodle or pasta(whichever is available) and allow it to cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Drain out the noodle stock into a bowl and set both aside(this is to avoid the noodle getting soaked in the stock).

Step 4: The Frying Proper- Place an empty pot on the burner, add half of the vegetable oil, allow it to heat a little. Pour in all the vegetables except the cabbage, garlic and ginger. Season and fry, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables are soft, add the cabbage and fry more for 30 seconds. Using a long handle kitchen spoon, part a space in the middle of the pot, add the diced garlic and ginger and fry for 3-4 minutes or until aromatic. Now mix up the vegetables and stir until well blended. Part open the middle of the pot yet again, add the remaining 1/2 of the vegetable oil and leave it for a minute to heat up. Pack the chopped chicken into the oil(do not stir), sear it till golden. Flip it and sear the other side till golden. Mix the vegetables and chicken and fry for 10 seconds more.

Step 5: The Cooking Proper: Pour in the chicken stock into the pot and stir very well. Add salt and season. Leave it to simmer for about 8-10 minutes and add the noodle stock. Stir and taste, add more season and salt if needful. Add the noodle or pasta, stir and set down from the heat. Serve with hot white or brown rice. You just can’t mix this!

 

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AKARA (BEAN BALL/CAKE)- PREPARATION

Akara is a popular item of food in Nigeria. Being extremely nutritious/delicious, it is Nigerian kind of buns/puff and so, relished by all. It can be eaten alone, with bread, garri(tapioca), ogi/akamu(pap), or eko/agidi. Akara is simple to make, join me in our food ‘lab’(the kitchen) for this wonderful chop.

Ingredients:

• Beans (2 milk cups)
• Vegetable oil
• Fresh pepper and onions
• Salt to taste

Kitchen Tools Needed:

• Blender or Mill
• Mixing bowl and wooden spatula or mortar and pestle
• Table spoon or Soup spoon
• Fork or tester spoke

Step 1: Soak the beans for about 30 minutes to an hour, wash and peel its coat/jacket off. Wash the fresh pepper, peel off the onion old jacket and wash. Pour the peeled beans into the Blender, add part of the pepper, slice the rest and set aside. Add part of the onion, slice the rest and set aside. However, I prefer blending without the pepper and onion. Now, blend to a smooth paste. NB: do not add too much water, the paste/puree shouldn’t be watery. You may choose to ground the beans at the Mill, if you can’t guarantee to blend it to a thick paste.

 Step 2: Turn on your Burner, place an empty dry pot on it. Add the vegetable oil. Be sure the pot is dried of any water drop before adding the vegetable oil. Allow the oil to bleach (but not to over-bleach) while you move on to step 3.

Step 3: Pour the bean paste into the Mortar or Mixing Bowl( the former is preferable), start turning the content continuously in a circular motion for about 30-40 minutes or till the paste is whiter and smooth. Add the salt(be careful not to add excess salt, akara easily gets salty). Add the sliced pepper and onion(do not pound if you are using the Mortar, gently mix them well). Taste to be sure the salt is ok.

 

Step 4: Using Spoon of any size depending on the size of akara you want, scoop a spoonful of the bean mixture into the already bleached oil, do this until there is no more space to add another spoonful. Lower the Burner heat, you need to manage the heat properly, it shouldn’t be too high or too low. If too high, it will not only burn the akara, the akara will taste raw/uncooked. If too low, the akara will soak in more oil than necessary.

  

Step 5: Using the Fork or the Tester Spoke, break off the bridges between one akara and another. Once the other side of the bobbed akara has turned golden brown, use the Fork or Tester Spoke to flip the akara so that the unburned side will be under into the burning oil. Be careful not to burn the akara, akara is more appetizing in its golden brown color. Check to see if the flipped side has turned brown. Set down the pot and pick out each akara from the oil into a sieve padded with paper(the paper will soak in excess oil off the akara or you may choose not to line the sieve.

 Here… savour your mouth-watering akara! 

 

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MOIMOI (STEAMED BEAN PUDDING)

Moimoi is a general food savoured by all in Nigeria. It is a very nutritious and delicious meal to relish. Yum moimoi can be eaten alone, with bread, garri(tapioca), akamu/ogi(pap) or agidi/eko. With moimoi, you are sure of your daily protein needs. Lets match to the kitchen for this great cuisine.

Ingredients:

• Beans (2 milk cups)
• Vegetable oil
• Crayfish
• Fresh pepper
• Tatashe pepper or 1 sachet Onga seasonal
• Onion
• Boiled egg(optional)
• Stock (chicken, beef or fish)
• 1 maggi cube 
• Salt to taste

Kitchen tools you will need:

• Blender
• Mixing bowl 
• Plastic cups with cover or
• Ewe leaves/Akwukwo Ute leaves (broad leaves) or
• Cellophane bags or
• Foil

Step 1: Soak the beans, wash and peel off its coats/jacket.Wash the pepper and tatashe. Remove the onion old jacket, wash and cut. Wash and strain the crayfish. Get the boiled egg and the stock ready. Pour the peeled beans into your blender, add the pepper, tatashe, onion and crayfish. Blend to a smooth paste. Pour the paste into the mixing bowl.

  

Step 2: Pour the stock into the paste, stir as you do. NB: Be careful when adding the stock so as not to make the moimoi too watery. Add the vegetable oil and the Onga sachet. NB: Onga or tatashe gives the moimoi an appetizing color apart from the great taste. So, you may use both or opt for one but mind the quantity you add. Add the maggi cube and salt to taste. Stir and mix well till all the ingredients are well blended. Taste to be sure every ingredient is represented in the mixture especially the seasoning and salt.

Step 3: Steaming process- get an empty pot, line/pad it with ewe leaves or sticks of same length with the diameter of the pot bottom or leave this option out. Pour some water into the pot. Place it on the burner and let it simmer.

Step 4: Scoop/wrap the moimoi mixture into any of the following: plastic cups, ewe leaves, cellophane bags or foil. Place the boiled egg atop each of these contents, cover/wrap/tie properly. Place each carefully in the pot. Cover the pot and bring to boil. Moimoi should be cooked for at least 45mins to 1 hour before you do the first checking. Once done, serve with chilled drinks.

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UGBA(OIL BEAN) SALAD- HOW TO PREPARE

Ugba (oil bean seed), also called ukpakala is an indigenous staple of the Igbos in the eastern part of Nigeria. This very nutritious seed is used in preparing a couple of the Igbo delicacies, so ugba is a do without in Igboland. For instance, ugba is one of the major ingredients in abacha salad(see my post on how to prepare abacha salad). To enjoy ugba most, it is usually left for days to ferment, this makes it soft and yummy. We are going to prepare this delicious meal, so lets go to the kitchen!

INGREDIENTS

Ugba(oil bean seed)

Okporoko(stock fish)

Palm oil

5 pinches of Potash(kaun or akanwu)

ground pepper and crayfish

Utazi( bitter dark green vegetable)

Kpomo(cooked or roasted cow hide)

seasoning and salt to taste

STEP 1: Wash and soak the okporoko for 2/3 or more hours and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Wash the pkomo very well scraping its inner part off with the knife. Slice the pkomo into a pot, and add the soaked okporoko. Add about 1/2 cup of water and season it. Set it on the cooker and allow it to boil for 5-10 minutes. Set down and drain the stock into a bowl and leave it to get cold(the stock will be used in the next step).

STEP 2: We are going to make the ‘ngo’. Ngo is a thick paste made from the mixture of potash, water and palm oil. Pour the okporoko and kpomo stock into an empty pot, add 5 pinches of potash (you may add more depending on the quantity of the ugba), stir continuously and add palm oil as you continue to stir until the mixture thickens. NB: potash is not 100% good for the health, so use sparingly.

STEP 3: Add the following into the ngo- ugba, okporoko and kpomo, ground pepper , ground crayfish and utazi leave. Mix them well until everything is well blended. Add salt to taste and serve with chilled drinks. Yummy!

 

Questions, suggestions and contributions are highly welcome.

You would also like to read JaynnoraStaples and JayFashion.

ABACHA/AFRICAN SALAD RECIPES- HOW TO PREPARE

Abacha is a native food of the Igbos in the eastern part of Nigeria. The major ingredients of this yummy recipe is abacha( a crisply grated dried cassava) and ugba or ukpakala (oil bean seeds). One of the things I love about abacha salad is its high nutritional values. Think of a balanced diet, think of abacha salad. Our business today is how to prepare this delicious meal. Here we go…!

 

INGREDIENTS:

Abacha (grated cassava)

Ugba(oil bean seeds)

crayfish

garden egg fruit or leave

Fresh pepper, onion and palm oil

5 pinches of ground edible potash( kaun or akanwu)

Kpomo(cooked or roasted cow hide)

Utazi leave(a bitter dark green vegetable)

Salt and seasoning

STEP 1: Soak the abacha for about 10-15 minutes, wash it thoroughly and make sure no sand is left. How to wash- put the abacha into a bigger bowl, pour in enough water to to cover the abacha and get almost to the brim of the bowl. Using your right hand, mix up the abacha in a washing manner, then slightly scoop a handful of the abacha without touching the dregs of the bowl as you do this. Hold the scooped abacha for a few seconds allowing it to drain off(your hand serves as a sieve). Then put the handful of abacha into an empty bowl. Repeat this until you have scooped all the abacha. Pour the dregs down the drain. Wash this way for 2-3 times more. Set aside the washed abacha.

STEP 2: Wash the crayfish as you did to the abacha above. NB: do not soak the crayfish, rather start washing following the above step 1 as soon as you add water to it. This is to avoid washing off its nutrients and taste. Repeat 2-3 times, then set it aside. Wash the pkomo(scrape the inner part off with the knife), garden egg leave and utazi thoroughly and set them aside.

STEP 3: Chop the fresh peeper, garden egg fruit and onion into nice shapes, set them aside. Slice the kpomo, shred the garden egg leave and utazi and set them aside. Unwrap the ugba into a saucer and set it aside. To get the best taste, the ugba should be 50% fermented. Fermented ugba is soft and tasty, otherwise, it is harder and slightly bitter. NB: do not wash the ugba, this will lose its nutrients and taste. Now, the preliminary stage is complete.

STEP 4: This is optional- if you do not like cold food like myself, pour the abacha into a pot, add a little water, add the pkomo, season and add salt to taste. Place it on the cooker and let it cook for 5-7 minutes. The idea is to have a hot/warm yummy African salad and to slightly cook the ingredients added especially the pkomo and seasoning.

STEP 5: We are going to make what is called the ‘ngo’ using the potash(potash is not 100% good for the health, so use sparingly). Add about 5 pinches of potash into an empty pot(you can add more, depending on the quantity of the abacha), add a soup spoon of water, stir continuously with either a wooden spatula or a pestle. Add palm oil and continue stirring to get a thick paste. That is the ngo- the secret of African salad.

STEP 6: Add the following into the ngo- the abacha, ugba, crayfish, garden egg leave, utazi, part of the pepper, onion and garden egg fruit. Mix them up well till they are well blended. Add salt to taste. Serve yourself and garnish it with the remaining pepper, onion and garden egg fruit. Hmm… yummy!   

 

Questions, suggestions and contributions are highly welcome.

You would also like to read JaynnoraStaples and JayFashion.

YAM FLOUR/ELUBO- The making

Think of Yam flour/elubo, think of the Yorubas of the Western part of Nigeria. In a typical Yoruba family, the ‘daily bread’ is incomplete without a mound of amala( a ready-to-eat yam flour). I relish this cuisine and I always go nostalgic whenever I am opportune to savour this popular African/Nigeria/Yoruba staple. Yes, i remember my days in the secondary school. I can’t wait to give you a step by step guide on how to make your own yam flour and join the amala( click here for how to prepare amala) relishing club… Lol. Here we go!

Yam Flour/Elubo: Things you will need:

1. a tuber of yam
2. grater
3. drier (optional)
4. mill
5. knife

    

• Wash and peel the yam: wash the sands off the yam. Wash very well before you start peeling. This is very important. Also, peel and cut off every bad part and stains on the yam.

• Slice the peeled yam into ‘gratable’ sizes: I like having it sliced into 5-6 inches long, this helps me have a better grip of the yam when grating it (see picture). Then grate. NB: grate carefully, your fingers could be grated as well but the sliced shape would do a lot more to minimize the possibility.

    

• Drying: You may sun dry or use a drier. If you choose to sun dry, you will need to dry it for up to 5-7 days to get it crispy dry. Using a drier is a better option as it dries the grated yam instantly, which is more time effective.

• Milling: when the grated yam is of crisp texture, take it to the mill (grinding). Then, sieve it  and there you are- our elubo is ready! Yam flour can last for 2 or more years. Preserve/store it in a clean dry container or polythene bag.

   

See my next post on “how to prepare amala”  

My wonderful readers, add more steps if I missed any. Especially, on how to make the amala whitish. The above steps will give us the black colour amala but of course, I am aware that amala is typically of black colour but I wonder how ‘Poundo yam’ turns out white. Yea, if you have the secret, please share with us but I will make a practical research and in no distant time, you will get the tips.

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AMALA- HOW TO PREPARE

Amala is a household food of the Yorubas in the Western part of Nigeria. Amala is brownish or black in colour. It is a thick paste made from yam flour, see my post on how to make yam flour. The Yorubas relish amala so much that a discussion on amala without a Yoruba man/woman present is incomplete. Amala is in the category of food termed ‘swallow’ in Nigeria. If you have not eaten/tasted amala, you are missing a lot! Lol. However, it is not too late, here are the step by step guides on how to prepare amala.

Things needed:

1. 2 cups of yam flour/elubo
2. water
3. wooden spatula or its equivalent

         

• Place about 3 cups of water on your cooker, bring it to boil

• Start adding the yam flour bit by bit and stir continuously as you do.

• Lower the cooker heat. If you prefer having your amala thicker, then you need to add more flour. Continue the stir until you have a smooth thick paste.

• Cover the pot, increase the cooker heat a bit and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes while you turn it intermittently, set down from the cooker, do the final stir/turn and here… our yummy amala is ready!

Amala can be served/eaten with ewedu soup and obe ata(pepper stew), egusi soup or any soup at all.   

PRESERVATION: If you are the busy type like myself, you can make more quantity of amala that can last you for 2 or more days. All you need do:

• Make sure you made the amala thicker
• wrap as many as you want to preserve in a transparent cellophane bag or foil(see picture), put them in a plastic container or a polythene bag and refrigerate (better in the freezer).

This saves me a lot of energy and time since all I do is pick a wrap( or the much you want), put it in a stainless bowl, place the bowl in a pot of water and leave it on your cooker to steam for about 5 minutes or more depending on how cold it is. NB: do not add water into the stainless bowl. I would have recommended using the microwave for this purpose but since microwaved food is not 100% healthy, you can opt for the above method.

 

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