Calories in Nigerian Food

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet:
Normal cholesterol intake per day is 300mg - if you have high cholesterol or high LDL - cholesterol intake per day is to be 200mg or less. How much is a serving? A serving is about the palm size of your hand. Shocking but true.

Basic Nigerian Dishes
The basic Egusi Soup enriched with few chunks of stockfish and two pieces of meat contains a total of roughly 700 calories per serving!!! Imagine eating it with about 3 wraps of pounded yam which is about 600 calories...
The largest food group it contains is Fat. Egusi is very high in fat content. It has about 60% fat. And imagine the more calories for those who love adding lots of palm oil to our egusi soup. It also has about 11 percent carbohydrates. Proteins make up 30 percent while other elements make up the rest. Cholesterol - 306mg.


Okra Soup
Okra soup with about one or two pieces of fish and a minimal amount of palm oil would be very good. Okra soup alone contains about 105 calories only per serving. So imagine how many calories you are saving by eating Okra Soup on its own. Here is a summary of what it contains:
Okra has about 2.8g of Fibre per serving, 3g of Fat, 4g of Carbohydrates and 11g of Protein. So for those trying to lose weight, why not try okra soup ALONE any time you are tempted to eat your Pounded Yam or Eba.


Ewedu Soup
Ewedu is one of the good soups for weight loss. If you are looking for a low calorie meal, you can count on Ewedu, especially considering the fact that her brother Gbegiri is also low in calories. A serving of Ewedu alone without meat contains only 97 calories!

Let's break down each of the food groups:
Fat content of 4g out of which 10% is cholesterol. The Carbohydrate content is 300mg (0.3g) and Protein is 18g. When thinking about a low-carb meal, Ewedu comes first to mind. Ewedu leaves are also called Jew's mallow and have been used for many medicinal purposes.


Snails
The calories in snail aren't always too accurate, because different snails come in different sizes. This, however, is an estimate of the average snail which weighs about 100 grams. 1 snail contains 90 calories. Of this, 1g is fat, 16g is protein and Carbs comes to 2g. So while it is a healthy food; relatively low in Carbs and Fat, remember it;s high in calories. Try to limit your consumption to 1 or 2 with your meals so as not to have too many calories.


Moi Moi
These are the calories in moi moi using the following ingredients:

• White beans 1/2 cup (peak evaporated milk cup): 189 calories
• 1/5 teaspoon of curry powder: 1 calorie
• 1 tbsp salt: 0 calories
• 1/2 tbsp groundnut oil: 60 calories
• 1/4 slice onion: 16 calories
• 1 oz Crayfish
• x1 Maggi Cube: 5 calories

I don't know what else you guys add to your Moi Moi, but using the ingredients above, the calorie content of a serving would be: 256 calories. Remember it all depends on what you add to it and how you mix it, how much water you add etc.


Fried Plantain
1 Slice of Fried plantain contains 68 calories

Wheat Flour
1 cup of wheat flour contains 455 calories and the nutritional values are as follows. Carbohydrates 96g, Protein 12.9g and Fat 1.2g.

Boiled or Roast Corn
A large corn cob between 7 to 9 inches in length contains 123 calories of which 80 percent is Carbohydrate. In a medium sized cob of corn, between 6 and 7 inches in length, you can expect about 88 calories and 80 percent Carbs. In a small corn cob, about 5.5 to 6 inches in length, there are about 63 calories.

Eko, Pap, Akamu or Ogi
Eko/Pap/Akamu/Ogi is a meal made from corn. Eko is the solid form of pap, and is usually eaten with vegetable or stew as desired. For Eko, the calorie content depends on the way it is made and its consistency so it is difficult to quantify, but we can come up with an estimate based on the values of Pap. Since everyone prepares their Pap to different consistencies, we can appropriate the calorie content of the raw pap (the thick one that you store in the fridge and take from when you want to cook). 1 tablespoon of raw Akamu/Ogi/Pap contains 91 calories of which 99.7% is purely Carbohydrate.

Irish Potato

• 128 calories in one small to medium size potato
• 161 calories in one average medium size potato
• 278 calories in one medium to large size potato

Weekly Meal Planner

Hello my Pot Pourri readers, i had to put this up for you, so you can find it easy to choose your meals daily, hope you would love it.

This Weekly Nigerian Meal Planner is to help plan meals for the week. Some like to plan ahead and cook everything for one week over the weekend and not have to worry about cooking during the week, while others go with the flow and cook in the week or whenever is needed or better yet, order take out!
These are general guidelines on creating a meal plan for the week with emphasis on consuming a considerable amount of fruits and vegetables. You can take the basic meal planner and tweak it as you see fit to fit your schedule and lifestyle. There are two meal planners in this post: one for readers in Nigeria and the other for readers in the U.S, U.K, Canada and elsewhere overseas. You can take elements from both to create your own if you’d like and if ingredients are readily available in your neck of the woods, you’re also free to substitute one for the other. You can also find most of the recipes on our site.

• First up, the meal planner for readers in Nigeria:

	BREAKFAST	SNACK	LUNCH	SNACK	DINNER	SNACK
MONDAY	Quaker Oats w/ a cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	Amala w/ Fish stew & Ewedu. Water to drink	Any fruit in season	Boiled/ Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ meat stew	Cereal w/ skim milk OR a Granola bar
TUESDAY	Akara & Ogi (Baba-the brown Ogi)	Any fruit in season	Fufu w/ Efo Riro (vegetable stew). Water to drink	Fruit Salad	Rice w/ Efo Riro (vegetable stew)	Cereal w/ skim milk OR  a granola bar
WEDNESDAY	Boiled Eggs & Bread. Cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	Jollof Rice & Dodo (fried plantain) w/ meat or chicken stew	Chin Chin	Eko w/ meat or chicken stew	Cereal w/ skim milk OR  a granola bar
THURSDAY	Bread & stew. Cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	Iyan (pounded yam) w/ Egusi stew. Water to drink	Fruit Salad	Boiled Plantains w/ meat or chicken stew OR vegetable stew	Cereal w/ skim milk OR  a granola bar
FRIDAY	Quaker Oats w/ a cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	White Rice w/ moi moi & stewed fish or fried meat/chicken. Soft Drink/ Mineral.	Boli (roast plantain) w/ groundnuts	Regular Beans OR Ewa Aganyin  w/ chicken stew.	Cereal w/ skim milk OR  a granola bar
SATURDAY	Boiled Yam w/ geisha or corned beef stew. Cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	Ikokore w/ meat/chicken stew. Water to drink.	Meat/Chicken Pies	Fried Rice w/ coleslaw, fried chicken. Fruit Juice.	Cereal w/ skim milk OR  a granola bar
SUNDAY	Boiled Yam w/ fried eggs, stew & sausages. Cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	Semolina OR Amala w/ Ogbonno & Bitter Leaf stew	Fruit Salad	Tuwo (ground rice) w/ meat stew	Cereal w/ skim milk OR  a granola bar

• Next up, the meal planner for readers outside of Nigeria (U.S, U.K, Canada etc)

	BREAKFAST	SNACK	LUNCH	SNACK	DINNER	SNACK
MONDAY	Instant Quaker Oats w/ a cup of tea	Small Smoothie	Jollof Rice & Dodo (fried plantain) w/ meat or chicken stew	Fruit Salad	Boiled/ Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ meat stew	Cereal w skim milk OR a Granola bar. Water to drink.
TUESDAY	½ a Bagel or a mini bagel w/ light cream cheese. Cup of tea/coffee	1 cup mixed fruits/nuts	Asaro w/ goat meat/chicken stew. Water to drink	Fruit Salad	Rice w/ Efo Riro (vegetable stew)	Cereal w skim milk OR a Granola bar. Water to drink.
WEDNESDAY	Scrambled Eggs w/sausages. Cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	White Rice & Ayamashe. Water to drink.	Fruit Salad	Noodles w/ meat or chicken stew & a boiled egg	Cereal w skim milk OR a Granola bar. Water to drink.
THURSDAY	Bread & stew. Cup of tea/coffee.	Granola Bar	Iyan (pounded yam) w/ Egusi stew. Water to drink	Fruit Salad	Boiled Plantains w/ meat or chicken stew OR vegetable stew. Water to drink	Cereal w skim milk OR a Granola bar. Water to drink.
FRIDAY	Instant Quaker Oats w/ a cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	Rice w/fish stew.  Soda or juice.	Fruit Salad	Spaghetti w/ chicken stew. Water to drink.	Cereal w skim milk OR a Granola bar. Water to drink.
SATURDAY	Pancakes or Crepes w/ sausages. Cup of tea/coffee.	Any fruit in season	Eba w/ Okra soup (and meat/chicken stew). Water to drink.	Meat/Chicken Pies	Fried Rice w/ coleslaw, fried chicken. Juice.	Cereal w skim milk OR a Granola bar. Water to drink.
SUNDAY	Boiled Yam w/ fried eggs, stew & sausages. Cup of tea/coffee	Any fruit in season	Beans w/ chicken stew. Water to drink.	Fruit Salad	Fried Plantains w/ vegetable stew. Water to drink	Cereal w skim milk OR a Granola bar. Water to drink.

Notes:

1. After having dinner, try snacking on something light if you still feel hungry, more so if you’re concerned about your weight.
2. Soda, juice and the like, (as much as they taste good!) are usually loaded with sugar and hence, empty liquid calories, so substitute for water where possible and if you’re one who doesn’t like the ‘taste’ of water, try adding lemon/lime/cucumber slices for a subtle change in taste.
3. If you do decide to eat cereal after dinner, ensure that it’s not one loaded with sugar.
4. Though some days might call for meals like Eba or Iyan (pounded yam), it doesn’t mean you should eat mountains and mountains of it (till you feel the need to make a slit in your side so your stomach can ‘breathe,’ lol)! Eat everything in moderation.

Set a Dickensian Table

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Eggs a la Neige Otherwise Known as Eggs In Snow

 

                                    Eggs a la NeigeA Little History
Eggs a la neige is also known as eggs in snow, snow eggs, or floating islands. Neige means "snow" in French, hence the snowy monikers. But it is also reputed that the famous French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935), named the dish after Gabrielle-Charlotte Reju, (1856-1920), a French actress whose stage name was Gabrielle Réjane.
Whether Escoffier actually invented the dish is a little unclear. Its components, custard and meringue, were well established before Escoffier's time. Some sources credit him for their union and others claim he merely named the dish. Nevertheless, I remain confused as to how the word "neige" relates to the name of the actress.

Eggs a la Neige Otherwise Known as Eggs In Snow

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 50 min

Servings: 6-8

Meringue is a whipped mixture of egg whites and sugar but it's a little more complicated than that. Beating egg whites imbibes them with air molecules, thus inflating them and producing a foam. But the air can escape and deflate the meringue.  Ergo, the goal is not only producing a foam, but a stable one. Here's a point by point guide:

• Room temperature eggs will whip faster and produce greater volume than cold ones
• Ensure that there is not a trace of egg yolk in the whites when you separate the eggs.  The slightest bit of fat can interfere with the whipping of the whites.
• Copper bowls produce greater volume than any other material because of the chemical reactions between the copper and the egg whites.
• Adding a pinch of cream of tartar (tartaric acid) enhances the stability.  Use a 16th of a teaspoon per white.  If not using a copper bowl, definitely use cream of tartar.  Get the whites started and then promptly add the cream of tartar.
• Use superfine sugar which incorporates better.  You must wait for the whites to reach the "soft peak stage" which is a limp foam, before adding the sugar.  Moreover it must be added a tablespoon at a time.  Adding it too soon or too quickly compromises the final volume
• A pinch of salt is sometimes added for flavor.  Again, wait for the soft peak stage as salt actually decreases the foam's stability.
• Continue beating the whites once all the sugar and salt is added but do not over beat them or they can curdle.  Scoop out some of the meringue with the whisk and hold it up.  If the peaks hold their shape, you're done.  This is the stiff peak stage.
• Mix the vanilla extract in toward the end.

Eggs a la neige can be augmented in many different ways.  All kinds of flavorings and garnishes can be added including cloves, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, caramel, liqueurs and chocolate.  Various nuts can be sprinkled over it.  There are even tropical versions that employ ginger, coconut and tropical fruit.

Ingredients:

• For the crème anglaise
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 pint whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• For the meringue
• 4 egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How To Make At Home:

In a large bowl, whip the yolks and sugar until "ribbons" form in the mixture.
Heat the dairy in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Do NOT boil the milk. Bring it only to a gentle simmer. If using a vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds and add it to the milk. If using vanilla extract add it at the very end.
Slowly pour about a third of the milk into the egg/sugar mixture, constantly whisking. Then slowly pour the egg mixture back into the primary saucepan containing the remaining milk, again constantly whisking.  This is called tempering the eggs.  It allows them to be slowly heated to avoid coagulation.
With the heat on low and your whisk in constant motion, cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, or until you can run a finger through it and create a clear path; about 5-8 minutes. If you're using a thermometer do not go over 175 degrees. Even the low 170's is flirting with disaster.
Strain the crème to remove any solidified bits of egg.
Pour it into a bowl with plastic wrap touching the surface, (to prevent a film from forming), and chill it.
Make the meringue as described above.
To Poach the Meringue
Heat up a large skillet of water to a gentle simmer.  Place dollops of the meringue in the water.
Or for a more artistic presentation make quenelles of the meringue.  A quenelle is an oval shaped dollop of food.  To make them you'll need two large tablespoons.  Scoop up one generous spoonful of the meringue and work it back and forth between the spoons until a uniform oval shape is produced.  Then place it in the water.
Poach the egg whites for two minutes, gently flip, and poach the other side for two minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon to paper toweling to dry.  Allow them to cool to room temperature, (or place them in the fridge to completely chill).  Pour the custard into serving bowls and add portions of the poached meringue on top.

Bread Pudding Recipe

 

                               Delicious bread pudding

Bread Pudding Recipe

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1.5 hrs

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 quart half and half. (Yes you can use regular milk but c'mon, it's Christmas.)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean (or 2 Tbsp vanilla extract)
• 6 eggs
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 oz. raisins
• 6 oz. of French, Italian, or Brioche bread cut into half-inch cubes
• 3 oz melted butter
• 2 cups of the custard mixture

How To Make At Home:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
Bring the raisins to a boil in water and then drain.  Set aside.
Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds and place the pod and the seeds in a saucepan with the milk and sugar. (If you're using vanilla extract add it at the very end). Bring the milk mixture to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and egg yolks. When the milk has boiled remove the vanilla pod. SLOWLY pour the milk mixture into the eggs, in a thin stream, whisking CONSTANTLY. You can even pour it intermittently. If you pour it in too fast you will scramble the eggs.
Strain it into a bowl and skim any foam off the surface. If you'd like, you can add some of your favorite liqueur to the custard now.
Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter and then scatter them and the raisins in a 1½ - 2 quart baking dish.
Pour the custard over the bread. Now place the baking dish into a larger pan, such as a roasting pan. Pour hot tap water in the larger pan until it comes at least halfway up the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until the custard sets.
The custard is set when it has a slight jiggle but is no longer fluid. The purpose of the water bath is to create gentle and uniform heating. High oven temperatures and/or lack of insulation from the water can cause the custard to curdle

Asun: Spicy Barbecued Goat Meat

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Asun is a Yoruba delicacy that you will always see in the Small Chops section at every owa mbe.
 
It is simply grilled/barbecued goat meat with lots of pepper. I usually prepare this the way I prepare my Nigerian Peppered Gizzards.

Ingredients for Asun

• 1.2kg (2.6 lbs) goat meat (cut with the skin)
• 2 habanero peppers (or to your taste)
• 1 medium onion
• 3 big stock cubes
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 cooking spoon vegetable oil
• Black pepper (optional)

To garnish

• 1 medium onion
• 1 small green bell pepper
• 1 small red bell pepper

Before you make Your Peppered Gizzards

1. Cut the goat meat into big chunks. Make sure you cut the chunks with the goat skin. If the skin is not there, it won't be the real deal Asun.
2. Wash and put the goat meat chunks in a bowl.
3. Add the thyme and black pepper; crush and add the stock cubes. Feel free to add other spices and ingredients that you use to marinate meat.
4. Mix the spices and the goat meat by gently rubbing with your hands.
5. Cover the bowl with a thin film. Put in the fridge and leave to marinate for about 1 hour
6. In my opinion, marinating beef and other kinds of meat is completely optional so you can skip the marinating process and go straight to cooking the goat meat.
7. Pound or blitz the habanero (scotch bonnet) peppers and set aside.
8. Cut 1 onion into 4 big chunks.

Making the Asun

1. After about 1 hour or the number of hours you chose to marinate the goat meat, put the meat in a pot. Use a pressure cooker if you have one because goat meat is quite tough and you will save lots of gas and electricity.
2. Pour water to just half of the level of the goat meat, add the big chunks of onion and start cooking at medium heat. You do not want a lot of water because you want the water to dry up by the time the goat meat is well done.
3. When the goat meat is well done, remove the big chunks of onions and add salt to taste.
4. Increase the heat to high and stir constantly till all the remaining liquid in the pot is absorbed. You don't want to lose any flavour by pouring away the goat meat stock.
5. Lay the goat meat flat on your oven rack.
6. Grill/Broil in the oven at 180°C or 350°F till the meat is brown all over. You will need to turn them from time to time. The meat should not be dry. This takes a maximum of 15 minutes with my oven.
7. While you are grilling the meat, wash, cut and thread the green bell pepper, red bell pepper and the remaining onion on toothpicks.
8. When the meat it well grilled/broiled, heat the vegetable oil in a dry clean pot.
9. Add the pepper and the thick stock from cooking the meat (if any) and fry for a bit.
10. Add the grilled goat meat.
11. Stir very well till the pepper is evenly distributed on the goat meat. The vegetable oil ensures that this happens and gives the Asun a nice glow.
12. That's it! Serve with the threaded vegetables.

If you are entertaining guests or having dinner with the family, serve with Fried Plantains or Jollof Rice.
If you are hosting a party, place them in a flat tray and put out with other small chops and snacks for your guests to enjoy.

Nigerian Shuku Shuku (Coconut Balls)

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Nigerian Shuku Shuku is a great Nigerian delicacy that doubles as a dessert and a snack. It is one of the easiest Nigerian recipes on this website.

If you have ever tasted coconut and bread (chewed together), that's what Shuku Shuku tastes like. It is the perfect way to recycle the chaff that I get when I extract coconut milk. You can also use coconut flakes for this but the Shuku Shuku made with those are lighter.

Ingredients for Shuku Shuku

I prepare Shuku Shuku in 2 ways. The first one (shown on the right in the image above) requires baking while the second does not.

For the baked method you will need:

• 120g coconut chaff (or coconut flakes)
• 3 egg yolks
• 30g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• Bread crumbs

For the no-bake method you will need:

• 120g coconut chaff (or coconut flakes)
• Evaporated milk ( you can use condensed milk too)
• 30g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• Bread crumbs

Notes on the ingredients:

1. I prefer coconut chaff for Shuku Shuku because coconut flakes are too light and dry.
2. You only need enough quantity of evaporated milk that will make the coconut chaff stick together. So just keep adding bit by bit till the chaff is sticky enough to make balls, it should not be soaking wet.
3. You can also use condensed milk. I do not use it because it is too sweet for me and it is kind of sticky.

Directions

Baked Shuku Shuku

1. Put the coconut chaff in a deep bowl and add the egg yolks and the icing (powdered) sugar.
2. Mix very well with a spatula till everything is well incorporated.
3. Use fingertips to make small balls of Shuku Shuku, about the size of table tennis balls.
4. Gently roll each ball on some bread crumbs till it is completely covered with bread crumbs.
5. Place in the oven tray and bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (335°F) for 15-20 minutes. Or till you see them turn a slight yellow all over.
6. That's it!

No-bake Shuku Shuku

1. Put the coconut chaff in a deep bowl and add the icing (powdered) sugar.
2. Add the evaporated milk (or condensed milk) bit by bit and mix with a fork at the same time.
3. Do this till you have enough quantity of milk in the coconut chaff to enable you make shuku shuku balls with the chaff. The mix should not be soaking wet with the milk. :)
4. Mix very well with the fork till everything is well incorporated.
5. Use your finger tips to make small balls of Shuku Shuku, about the size of table tennis balls.
6. Gently roll them on some bread crumbs till they are completely covered.
7. They are ready to eat!

Serve with any chilled Nigerian drink: Zobo, Soy Milk, Chapman, all the Kununs!

How to Season and Grill Chicken

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Chicken is used a lot when preparing Nigerian recipes, especially the Rice recipes and stew recipes. Chicken can also be eaten as a snack and washed down with a chilled drink.

You want to season your chicken so that it will be very tasty and you also want to prepare it such that it will be presentable and appetizing.
Seasoning chicken is very easy and you only need a few ingredients. Most often, people think that you have to add all the spices and stock cubes in the world to make the chicken tasty. But what all these excess seasoning does to the chicken is to take away the natural flavour of the chicken. To season chicken, you only need these major spices and ingredients:

• Chicken - Hen (female chicken) is tougher and tastier than cockerel (male chicken) so when you go to buy chicken, ask your grocer or meat seller for the hen. This is called Gallina in Spanish. You should also buy a whole chicken and cut it up in pieces. Not only is it cheaper but you get the different parts of the chicken which adds to the flavour rather than just one part.
• Onions - White, yellow or red onions. Onions are very important when seasoning chicken.
• Thyme - This is very essential due to the aroma it adds to the chicken.
• Stock cubes - Maggi or Knorr are the brands that bring out the best taste in Nigerian recipes.
• Salt - Use salt sparingly when seasoning your chicken. Salt should be added when the chicken is done. Never add salt to raw chicken, see notes below for more information on what adding salt too early does to your chicken or beef.

You should also grill your chicken after cooking it rather than deep-fry it. If you have an oven, please grill your chicken because it is healthier. Grilling also makes the chicken taste better.

Tools I used

• Cooker
• Oven for grilling the chicken
• Pot
• Spatula
• Sieve
• Chopping board
  
• Knives

Directions for Seasoning and Grilling Chicken

1. Cut up the whole chicken to desired pieces. Most grocers or meat sellers will do this for you and save you the job.
2. Put the chicken pieces in a pot; add diced onions, thyme and stock cubes.
3. Pour enough water to just cover the contents of the pot and start cooking.
4. Since the hen is tough, it takes quite some time to get it well cooked. It usually takes me one hour 15 minutes on medium heat with a normal cooking pot to get it done to the way I like it. Depending on the heating capacity of your cooker, this may take less. Also if you use a pressure cooker, it will take even much less time so keep an eye on it so that it does not get too soft.
5. When the chicken is done, add some salt, cover the pot and leave to simmer for about 2 minutes. Adding salt at the beginning will make your chicken cook in more time because salt toughens the chicken and some other food stuff.
6. Transfer the chicken to a sieve to drain.
7. Then place them on your oven rack, place the rack as close to the grill (the top heater in your oven) as possible.
8. Switch your oven to "Grill" and set the temperature to 170°C or 338°F.
9. When the top side becomes brown, turn the pieces of chicken on the other side.
10. The chicken is well-grilled when both sides are brown.

Serve with all the Nigerian Rice recipes, Nigerian Moi Moi and Nigerian Salad. Feel free to snack on it with a chilled drink. You guests will love you if you serve them grilled chicken.

Notes about cooking the chicken:

1. Add water up to the level of the contents of the pot when cooking the chicken.
2. When cooking chicken, I do not add salt to the raw chicken. This is because salt closes the pores of the chicken (and infact anything you are cooking), this prevents the natural flavour of the chicken from coming out into the surrounding water and prevents the seasoning from entering the chicken to improve the taste. The result is that your chicken stock will not have a rich natural taste. It will only have an artifical taste of seasoning.
   
   Salt also hardens the chicken hence it takes longer to cook.
   
   I only add salt when the chicken is done. A lot of people think that adding salt early makes the chicken taste better but there's a big difference between a salty taste and a rich taste. I believe that what gives food a rich taste is not salt but the natural flavour of the food so allow this natural flavour to come out into your stock by NOT adding salt too early. And remember, stock cubes already contain salt so you really don't need more salt.
3. I do not use curry powder to season my chicken (or beef) simply because in my opinion, curry powder overtakes the taste of any food it is cooked with (except Fried Rice) and makes the food taste so artificial. But if you don't mind it, feel free to use it as seasoning for your beef or chicken.

Ogbono Soup (Draw Soup)

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Ogbono Soup also known as Draw Soup makes eating Fufu Recipes so easy because of its slimy nature which helps the lumps of fufu slide down. If your kids do not like Okra Soup because of the chunks of Okra, then try Ogbono Soup, they will surely love it.

Some people like their Ogbono soup plain, with no added vegetables, others would not touch it unless there is some kind of vegetable in it. A third group love their Ogbono Soup with Okra. Some people even go fancy and add Egusi to it.
Be sure to check out the following link where you'll find more tips for preparing Ogbono Soup.
Ogbono Soup: Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients for Ogbono Soup

• Assorted Meat and Fish: Beef, Shaki, DryFish, Stock Fish
• Ogbono Seeds: 2 handfuls
• Palm Oil: 3 Cooking spoons
• Vegetable: Frozen Spinach (you can also use Pumpkin leaves or even Bitterleaf)
• Crayfish: 1 handful
• Pepper and Salt - To taste
• 1 medium size Onion
• 2 Stock cubes (Maggi/Knorr)

Tools I used

• Cooker: 
• Pot: 
• Spice grinder for grinding ogbono
  
• Spatula: 
• Chopping board: 
• Knives:
  

Before you cook Ogbono Soup

1. Grind the Ogbono with a dry mill.
2. Cut the frozen spinach when it is not completely defrosted. It is easier that way. Then when completely defrosted, squeeze out the excess water.
3. Cook the assorted meat with the stock cubes and onion. If you will use Shaki, remember to start cooking that first, then add beef when almost done.
4. Grind crayfish and pepper.
5. Boil some water and set aside.

Cooking Directions for Ogbono Soup

1. Pour the palm oil into a clean dry stainless steel or aluminium pot. Set on the stove and melt the oil at low heat. Remember, only melt the oil, do not allow it to heat up.
2. Once melted, turn off the heat and add the ground Ogbono.
3. Use your cooking spoon to dissolve the Ogbono in the oil.
4. When all the Ogbono powder has completely mixed with the oil, add the meat/fish stock (water from cooking the assorted meat and fish). Set the heat of your cooker to low and start stirring. You will notice the Ogbono start to thicken and draw.
5. Keep stirring till the Ogbono has completely absorbed the meat stock.
6. Add a small quantity of the hot water and stir till the Ogbono has absorbed all the water. Repeat this process till you get a consistency that is shown in the video below.
7. Making sure that your heat is set to low, cover the pot and start cooking. Once it starts to simmer, stir every 2-3 minutes for 20 minutes.
   So what you'll do is: every 3 minutes or so, open the pot, stir every well, scraping the Ogbono that sticks to the base of the pot, cover the pot and cook for another 3 minutes.
8. After 20 minutes, the Ogbono should be well cooked and you will begin to perceive its nice flavour and aroma.
9. Add the assorted meat and fish, ground crayfish, salt and pepper to taste. The Ogbono may have become thicker from the cooking. If so, add a little bit more water and stir very well. Cover and cook till the contents of the pot is well heated up.
10. If you prefer your Ogbono Soup without vegetables, turn off the heat and serve but if you like to add a vegetable then keep reading :)
11. When the contents of the pot have heated up, add the vegetable (frozen Spinach used in the video). Stir very well, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes and serve with any Fufu recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ogbono Soup

My Ogbono Soup does not draw. Why?

There are 3 main reasons why your Ogbono Soup does not draw.

1. You bought the wrong seeds. There is another seed that looks so much like Ogbono and is sold as Ogbono seeds in Nigerian markets. First sign that you are buying the wrong seeds is if they are too cheap to be true. To confirm that the seeds are really Ogbono seeds: break the seed and rub the broken sides together, if they make a sap that draws, then you've got the real Ogbono seeds. In Nigeria, every open market seller should let you do this "drawing test", if not, please leave their shop and go somewhere else.
   
   For those living outside Nigeria, I guess you just have to pray that the Ogbono seeds in the pack you buy are the real thing :)
2. Another reason why your Ogbono Soup does not draw may be because you used packaged ground Ogbono, ground being the keyword here. This is especially the case for those who live outside Nigeria who do not have any choice than to buy the ground packaged Ogbono sold in African shops.
   
   Once you grind Ogbono, it starts losing its potency to draw and with time, it won't draw anymore. The exact time at which it completely loses its potency to draw will depend on: how dry the Ogbono was before the grinding took place and how well it is packaged amongst other things.
3. The third reason why your Ogbono Soup does not draw is that you fried it before adding the meat/fish stock. The ground Ogbono should only be dissolved in the palm oil NOT fried. The more you fry it, the more it loses its drawing ability till you've got no potency left. This happens even if it is the authentic Ogbono seed.

How can I cook Ogbono Soup so that it does not burn?

First, turn down the heat. Whatever you are cooking, turn down the heat to prevent burning. This is especially the case with Ogbono Soup which is very sticky. Always cook your Ogbono Soup at very low heat. If your cooker's heating ranges from 1 to 9, set the heat to 4.
Secondly, do not add crayfish or any other ingredients when cooking the Ogbono at first. Crayfish especially speeds up the burning. When you grind your Ogbono in Nigerian markets, they will tell you to use crayfish to make sure all the Ogbono comes out of the mill. If you decide to do that, make sure that they put the crayfish and that last bit of Ogbono in a different plastic bag for you and add the crayfish bit when you add the rest of the ingredients.
Also, use stainless steel or aluminium pots in cooking your Ogbono Soup. Non-stick pots are not the best for cooking Ogbono Soup even though it says non-stick lol!

My Ogbono Soup tastes bland in spite of all the ingredients I usually add to it. Why is this?

One reason Ogbono Soup will taste bland even after adding enough ingredients is that you did not cook it long enough. I have seen a lot of people cook Ogbono for only 5 minutes. That's not enough. Ogbono, once added, should be cooked for at least 20 minutes on low heat. This is the time at which the taste begins to come out and blend with the ingredients.
Another reason is maybe because the Ogbono seeds have gone mouldy in which case, it will have a slightly bitter taste too.

Top 10 Kitchen Tools

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These are the top 10 kitchen tools you will be using on a regular basis. They help you become more efficient in the kitchen and make your overall cooking experience a joy.

1. Set of Pots

It is a no brainer that this comes first in the list of top ten kitchen tools. You cannot imagine cooking without them. Sets of pots of different sizes are what you would want to invest in when equipping your kitchen.
The different sizes will enable you cook small quantity food as well as cook for a large party. It also makes it possible to use the right size of pot for the different sizes of burners.

2. Sharp knife

Most of the cutting tasks in the kitchen are done with a knife. In spite of the belief that a sharp knife is a hazard in the kitchen, it is still better than trying to do the job with a dull / blunt knife.
A sharp knife will ensure that you cut those leafy vegetables as tiny as you want them. When buying, hold the knife to ensure that it sits comfortably in your hand.

3. Chopping board

How can anybody not have a chopping board in their kitchen? A good sized chopping board goes hand in hand with a sharp knife in getting the cutting jobs done.
Keep the knife marks off your kitchen counter and your palms by using a chopping board.

4. Clock

We all know that timing is a very important aspect of cooking. Some people even have a programmable timer so they can get the cooking times perfectly right.
It is a good habit to time each stage of your cooking and subsequently the total time it takes to cook a particular recipe. And there is no better tool with which to do that than a simple kitchen clock.

5. Scissors

If you do not have a scissors in your kitchen, please buy one today. No other tool beats the kitchen scissors in such tasks as cutting spice packets, cutting tiny leafy vegetables (e.g. curry leaf), cutting open small packets of rice, spaghetti and noodle packs, sachet tomato puree etc.

6. Can Openers

What could we have done without these simple tools? Keep opening cans with knives? Oh no! These days there are many models of can openers and the best are the ones that open the can from the side rather than from the top.

7. Hand Towel

This covers all types of towels in the kitchen; paper towels, sink towels, cloth hand towels. The kitchen is one place where you wash your hands so often and after doing this, you must have the need to reach for a hand towel. If not, water will drip all over your kitchen, making a mess.
It is also good practice to clean as you cook and this is where the sink towel comes in handy.

8. Grater

Graters are very simple tools yet very useful in the kitchen. Use large holes on it to grate your carrots when you want to make the Nigerian Salad. Use the tiny holes to grate your orange peels when you need just the flavour from them. This kitchen tool is a must for grating nutmegs, ginger and garlic.

9. Sieves

Sieves are necessary for a wide range of tasks in the kitchen. It is absolutely necessary when parboiling rice, removing beans coat before cooking the Nigerian Moi Moi, washing bitter leaves, to name a few. The fine sieve is very useful when extracting coconut milk or juice from your grated orange peels.
After scraping your carrots, you can pour the water into a sieve instead of directly into the sink. It prevents even the tiniest pieces of the carrot peels from clogging your sink.

10. Bowls

Assorted bowls keep you more organised in the kitchen especially when you are preparing a recipe with lots of chopped vegetables. These include: Nigerian Salad, Vegetable Sauce or the Nigerian Fried Rice. You can easily place the vegetables in separate bowls right after cutting them.
Plastic bowls with cover are also very useful in storing food in the fridge or freezer.
The much bigger mixing bowls are very useful when washing vegetables and during the mixing of Moi Moi recipes.

How to make Kunun Aya (Tiger Nuts Milk)

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Tiger nuts are abundant in Nigeria and I used to eat lots of them in my younger years. I have not had them in years till my friend reminded me of these great nuts.

Tiger nuts have a nutty milky taste. I can't even imagine anything that tastes like it. Not only do they taste nice, the nuts are jampacked with lots of health benefits.
To eat it as a snack, just chew and suck on the chaff then spit out the chaff. Some people swallow the chaff but it is quite difficult for me to swallow. Eat with peanuts (groundnuts) and the chaff will be softer and easier to swallow, this great tip was from Oluwayemisi and it works!
If you buy these nuts outside Nigeria, chances are that they will be dry. Soak them in plenty of cold water overnight before attempting to munch on them.
Another way to enjoy these nuts is to soak, blend and strain them to get the very delicious and refreshing Tiger Nuts Milk, known as Kunun Aya in Hausa and Horchata de Chufas in Spanish.

Ingredients for making Tiger Nuts Milk

• 600g soaked Tiger Nuts
• 1.5 litres cold water

Other ingredients you can add to it

• Coconut
• Sugar
• Ginger
• Cinnamon

To blend it, you'll need a kitchen blender. My blender has 600W power and it did a great job of blending the soaked nuts.
To strain it you'll need a chiffon cloth or ladies stocking/tights (pantyhose without the panty).

Other names for Tiger Nuts

• Aki Awusa in Igbo
• Aya in Hausa
• Isip Isong in Efik/Ibibio
• Ofio in Yoruba
• Hausa Groundnut in Pidgin
• Keegun in Okun
• Chufas in Spanish

Check out this post on Facebook for more names of Tiger Nuts in other languages.

Where to buy Tiger Nuts

There are 2 varieties of tiger nuts: brown and black. Both are readily available in Nigeria but I think the brown ones are more common outside Nigeria. Both taste the same to me.

1. In Nigeria, Tiger Nuts are sold by Hausa Mallams on the streets and in all major markets in Nigeria.
2. In Spain, look for them in any Frutos Secos shop i.e. shops that sell dry fruits. Ask for chufas.
3. In the UK you can buy them on Amazon UK website.
4. In the US, it is sold by La Tienda. The vendor for tiger nuts on Amazon US website is La Tienda.

Benefits of Tiger Nuts

1. Tigernut oil is used in the cosmetic industry. As it is antidioxide (because of its high content in vitamin E) it helps slow down the ageing of the body cells. It favours the elasticity of the skin and reduces skin wrinkles.
2. It supplies the body with enough quantity of Vitamin E, very essential for fertility in both men and women.
3. See more health benefits of tiger nuts here.

Directions for making Tiger Nut Milk

I only discovered this way of enjoying Tiger Nuts from the comments in this post on my Facebook page. This website, which was kindly shared by Hannatu on Facebook gives a very detailed recipe for making Tiger Nuts Milk. You can also watch the video below to see how it is done.

1. Soak the very dry nuts in a generous quantity of cold water for 2 days. Keep it in the fridge for the duration of the soaking so that the nuts do not ferment. Most tiger nuts sold in Nigeria are fresh and well hydrated so you'll only need to soak those ones for a few hours or overnight.
2. After the soaking, wash the nuts very well and sort out the bad ones.
3. Put them in your kitchen blender and pour just enough water to help the blades move. We need to make this milk as concentrated and tasty as possible, you can add more water later if you wish.
4. At this time you can add other ingredients: coconut, sugar, ginger and other flavours of your choice and blend them together. I prefer anything I eat/drink as natural as possible so I do not add any other ingredient to this drink. The natural taste of Tiger Nut Milk is so great, you do not want to alter it at all.
5. After blending, use a chiffon cloth or ladies stocking (pantyhose) to separate the chaff from the drink. Of course, the pantyhose should be brand new, thoroughly washed with dish washing liquid.
6. Press the stocking to make sure you squeeze out all the milk from the chaff.
7. Put the dry chaff back in the blender, add more water and blend again. Then strain with the chiffon cloth.
8. Repeat the process till all the milk has been extracted. I found that the milk I got the third time was too watery. So 2 times should be enough and keep an eye on the quantity of water. As a guide, I got 1.5 litres of tiger nut milk from 600g of soaked tiger nuts. Yours may vary.
9. Pour the extracted milk into bottles and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. It should last longer in the freezer. In my home, this milk usually disappears within 2 days of making it, so I can't tell you how long it can stay in the freezer without losing its taste! lol

Serve Tiger Nuts Milk with any snack of your choice.

Chicken Piri Piri (Peri Peri)

Chicken Piri Piri is a dish made popular by Nandos Restaurants all over the world. Although Nandos has its origin in south Africa with a Portuguese-Mozambican flair ; Piri Piri (Swahili for pepper pepper) is actually a kind of chilli  grown in Nigeria and several other African countries.  Recipes for the sauce vary across the board, here is our version;
PIRI PIRI SAUCE

• 2 cups fresh basil ( Efinrin)
• ½ red onion (chopped)
•  2 cloves of garlic
• 4  fresh Peri Peri  chillies ( I used dried)
• 1 teaspoon  paprika powder
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 table spoons vinegar

Direction
Combine all the ingredients in a blender, puree to a smooth paste.

For my version of Peri Peri chicken, I used the sauce as a finisher. Made simple over roasted chicken using this recipe and then tossed the cooked chicken with the sauce.
Have you been to Nandos? what is your favorite thing to eat there?

Basmati Fried Rice

This is another basmati rice recipe, if you haven’t tried our Basmati coconut rice and basmati Jollof you are missing out.  This is my tested and recommended basmati fried rice recipe, try it out and let us know how it goes.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil (divided)
2 cubes maggi
2 teaspoon curry powder (divided)
1 teaspoon thyme powder (divided)
2 cups mixed vegetables
¼ cups chopped spring onion (optional)
1.5 cups precooked shrimps or chicken (optional)
½ teaspoons crushed red pepper
1teaspoon salt
3 cups basmati rice (washed) (Preferably extra fancy long grain basmati rice. my preferred brand are 404 premium and La Quilla )

Directions:

• Place a large pot (with a good fitting lid) on medium heat; add 1 part each of oil, curry, thyme, 1 cube magi, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir.
• Add in 3 cups water. Cover the pot, increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to minimum (the lowest setting on your cooker), add in the rice and stir. Cover the pot tightly (I cover my pot with foil paper usually and then add on the lid) leave the rice to cook for 25min. Set aside to cool
• Place another large pot on medium heat, add in the left over oil and heat slightly.  Add all left over ingredients and cook for 2mins.
• Add in the precooked rice, meat (if using) and 3 table spoons water, combine. Taste and adjust for salt as needed.  Simmer for another 3 mins

Serve and Enjoy!

efo (vegetable soup)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1 bunch vegetable 450gm fresh tomatoes 450gm meat 2 magi cubes 6 tablespoons of palm oil if available, or vegetable oil 1 large onion Salt Dry pepper Water 450gm smoked fish (optional) 2 tablespoons ground crayfish (optional) 1 tablespoon locust beans (optional) Bell pepper(s) (optional) Condiments (optional)

Boil the meat or fish, with the salt, onions, etc. until the meat is tender, and keep it aside. Separate the vegetable leaves. Wash them, drain them, and cut them. Place some oil in a pot, heat the oil and fry the meat slightly. Blend the tomatoes and any bell peppers if you chose to use them. You can either blend the onion with this mixture, or cut it into slices. Remove the meat from the oil, and add the blended mixture to the hot oil. Also add the crayfish and the condiments. Allow to cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring constantly Add the meat and the smoked fish, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Add the vegetables, and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Add salt and dry pepper to taste. ste. Eat with any of the dishes that have 'soup' with them.

obe ata (pepper soup)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

3-4 fresh tomatoes and 1-2 bell peppers OR 16 oz tomato sauce and 6 oz tomato paste. (Bell pepper is optional) Meat/Chicken/Fish 4 magi cubes Palm oil if available, otherwise use vegetable oil 2 onions Salt Dry pepper Water

Place the meat in a pot, add very little water (most meat produces water as it cooks), dice one onion in with the meat, add some salt, and cook the meat until it is almost tender. If you are using fresh ingredients, grind the tomatoes and the bell peppers together. You can grind in another onion in with them if you wish. Pour the blended tomato mixture (or the tomato sauce and tomato paste) into the pot with the meat. Also add the palm oil or vegetable oil. Allow to cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring constantly. Add salt and dry pepper to taste. Eat with any of the dishes that have 'soup' with them.

Vegetable Sauce Recipe

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This tasty recipe, made from chopped salad vegetables is a colourful way to enjoy a wide range of staple foods with vegetables. Some people even call it Salad Stew. Eat it with white rice, boiled yam, fried plantain or even mashed potatoes.
It is very rich in vitamins and nutrients. So there is no reason why you should not be cooking this recipe as soon as possible.
I promise you'll not want to eat the Nigerian Red Stew ever again after eating this vegetable sauce.

Ingredients

• Whole Chicken
• Vegetable Oil (2 cooking spoons)
• 5 Spring Onions
• 8 Fresh Plum Tomatoes (Jos Tomatoes)
• 8 medium Carrots
• Cabbage (1 small bulb)
• Potatoes (3 medium sized)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper (optional)
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• Salt - to taste
• Seasoning – 3 big stock cubes, thyme

Before you cook the Vegetable Sauce

1. Wash and cut the vegetables: plum tomatoes (remember to remove the seeds), carrots, cabbage and bell pepper as shown. Remember to scrape the carrots before cutting. Set these aside.
   
2. Peel the Irish potatoes, wash and cut into small pieces. Blend into a thick paste and set aside. This will be used as thickener for the Vegetable Sauce.
   

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and cut the whole chicken into pieces. Place in a pot, add chopped spring onions, stock cubes and thyme. Add water to cover the contents of the pot and start cooking.
2. When done, add salt to taste and top up the water to the same level as the contents if necessary.
3. Once it boils, add the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable oil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Now, add the potato puree, chopped bell peppers and cabbage. Stir, cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Add salt to taste and the sauce is ready to be served.
   

   Note: Feel free to experiment by varying the thickness of the vegetable sauce. This you can achieve by increasing or decreasing the amount of potato puree added till you get a consistency that appeals to you.
   Tip: The smoothest puree usually settles at the bottom so you may want to use only that (if it is sufficient) and discard the frothy part at the top.
   

Serve with white rice, boiled yam, fried plantain or mashed potatoes.