How to make the unique Abacha (African Salad) and Akidi (Black beans) with dried fish. A delicious Enugu (Eastern Nigeria) recipe. You'll really love it!

 

In the rich culinary landscape of Eastern Nigeria, particularly in Enugu State, lies a beloved dish that embodies the region’s cultural heritage and gastronomic delight: Abacha and Akidi. This traditional pairing is more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of flavours, textures, and the community’s history. 

Abacha, a fermented cassava dish, and Akidi, a type of bean pudding, come together in perfect harmony to create a nutritious and delicious local food that not only nourishes the body but also adds to the cultural identity of the people.

 In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the preparation of this iconic dish, exploring the ingredients, steps, and significance behind Abacha and Akidi. Join us on this culinary journey as we delve into the heart of Eastern Nigerian cuisine and uncover the secrets of this beloved traditional meal.

Here’s are the ingredients we would need:

▪︎ Dried Abacha 500g

▪︎ Akidi (Black beans)  3 cups

▪︎ 6 seeds of fresh chilli peppers

▪︎ 1 cup of very red  palm oil 

▪︎ 1 cube of seasoning 

▪︎ Salt

▪︎ Oil bean seeds ( fermented ones are better)

▪︎ Onions

▪︎ Dried fish 

Recipe 

● Sort and clean the black beans properly, taking notes of tiny stones that are usually found in them. You wouldn’t want to chew stones together with the food.

● After sorting the black beans; wash up to three times, decant the water, and add fresh water in a clean pot, then put on the fire source to parboil.

● Put water in a kettle and heat till it’s lukewarm (neither hot nor cold, just the middle).

It shouldn’t boil. Just lukewarm, but if it mistakenly boils; add cold water to it to return it back to being lukewarm 

● Break the  dried Abacha (African salad) into tinier pieces, firstly wash with cold water, don’t allow I to soak in the cold water, please. 

● Wash and remove immediately into a clean bowl

● Add the lukewarm water to the damp Abacha, letting the water to be on the same level with the Abacha.

● Allow to soak in the warm water for about 3 to 4 minutes; it shouldn’t be too soaked. 

● After 4 minutes, remove from the water into a sieve while  pressing out small water from it; leaving just a little. 

The water left would be responsible for making it softer, thus would swell up too.

● Check on the black beans to see if it’s boiling, sieve out the water, add fresh water in the pot, then pour in back the black beans, add a table spoon (level) of salt; this is to ensure it has a taste, and not being too blanch.

● Start cooking till it’s soft.

Divide your onions into two equal haves, blend in half of the onions with the chilli peppers, and chop the other half. 

👉I always recommend blending onions because it helps to increase the surface area, thus bringing out all the scents into the food. 

👌This is a top secret for those following my food recipe blogs. I hope you start practising this; you’ll be amazed.

● Wash your dried fish, especially the ones dried for long to remove dusts or dirt. 

● Soak in boiled water and cover the bowl used for soaking it, allowing it to soften.

● Check the Akidi , and see if it’s soft already. When it’s soft, sieve out the remaining water left in the pot if there’s any.

● Wash the pot or bring another clean pot and put it on the fire source. 

● Add about one cup of red oil, go in with the chopped onions immediately, and add the blended pepper and onions right after, while stirring to avoid burning.

● Sieve out the dried fish, add it to the pot on the fire, then stir again.

● Go in with the oil bean, one cube of seasoning, then salt.

👉Note: While adding salt, make sure to taste the Akidi for salt. 

👉The more salty the Akidi is, the less salt you’ll be adding to the sauce on fire. 👉This is to make sure the meal isn’t salty.

● Add a little water, this is to allow the oil bean to let out its flavour into the sauce; cook for about 5 minutes.

● Add the softened Abacha, followed by the cooked Akidi, then turn into the sauce to get a uniform mixture.

😋 Your yummy Akidi and Abacha with dried fish is ready to be consumed.

❓️What drink would you like to take this with?

👇🏻Drop it in the comment section.

🍹A glass of fresh mangoes juice will go for me.