Jayne Whyte's Portfolio

Hey Everyone,

It ‘s pretty weird how I get to eat a lot and I manage to remain a size 10…..and then in my small head, I am thinking “I hope my mum gets to read this post because she buys me clothes that are size 12 instead of 10”.Lol. I had made up my mind to eat less carbs but when I attend these advocacy work meetings, the tea breaks can’t just ‘waka pass’. I have to eat. At home, I make this deliriously deliciously egg and coconut sauce and the best thing that can go with it is some hot slices of toast. Is burnt bread carbohydrate??? 

Anyway, that’s just me wondering away. 

On Saturday, I actually had to do my hair and some shopping from my favourite Mallam at Utako market….recession is not smiling at all and everything is stupidly expensive. I got back home so late, the hot Abuja sun, the amount of money I spent, my head….my newly made hairstyle with a headache, the hunger in my belly knew no bounds and worms in my stomach were singing Pantoranking’s ‘no touching baby’. Initially, I was confused. I knew I had to put things together to quench the hunger in my belly and that of the kids but I didn’t know exactly what to cook. 

I then remembered that some days back, my mom, the bestest mom in the whole world gave me some abacha and ugba and my papa gave me some palm wine. And suddenly, I had the biggest smile on my face. I had to make ‘Abacha’ and down it with palm wine. How lucky!!!

Abacha is a local food made from cassava, potash, Ugba (will find out what the english or botanical name is…after my meal, onions, pepper, crayfish and some palm oil. Garnished with stockfish, vegetables such as: scent leaves/ garden egg leaves, fried fish or kpomo.

Cleaned up my small cute mortar and pestle and got mixing.

This is ugba/ukpaka . It is usually put in leaves for preservation and found mostly in the south east.

To prepare, put in hot water for about 5 minutes and carefully sieved out.

After pounding the crayfish and pepper, add a little bit of the potash mixture, leaving behind the sediments. Use the pestle to stir gently.

Then add the soft cassava flakes, followed by the ugba. Stir

Then add onions, a pinch of salt and food is ready.

At this point, you can add your fresh vegetables/garden eggs and so on.