Sunday Funday Recipe: How to Cook Ofe Akwu and White Rice

Hey You! Happy Sunday :)
I've missed you guys! It's been ages, almost like, forever(I just wan to hug the life out of You). Hehe it's 2:46am and I'm still awake doing what I love.
Here is a link to my last post if you missed it, find it here
Today's meal is an Igbo meal, from Eastern Nigeria. It is a local stew, and can be eaten with boiled yams, white rice, or "swallow".




How to cook the Ofe Akwu

I wrote this post how I prepare ofe akwu, yours may differ. ALL PICTURES BELOW ARE MINE
Please forgive the poor lighting..I took them at night.

 knorr cubes
 Crayfish, pepper and Clove Basil


Ingredients:
All these depends on the quantity you intend cooking. The pictures show the one made for my family and it will last for 2-3 weeks(we do not intend to eat it everyday).

Fresh bunch of Akwu.
One small bowl of ground Fresh Pepper.
4Knorr cubes.
Two eating spoons of Salt.
Two medium sized dried fishes.
A small bunch of scent leaves aka Ocimum gratissimum aka Clove Basil..
A small bowl of ground crayfish.
A pot of fresh beef and broth.
2 medium blended onions.
A kettle of warm water.

Method:
Pick out the akwu. Wash them and transfer them to a clean pot. Add water and boil for 30minutes on high heat. Bring out your motar and pestle(there are very portable ones these days). Sieve out the water, and pour the akwu into the mortar. Gently pound the akwu with moderate pressure for 25 minutes. Pour part of the warm water from the kettle and continue gently for 15 minutes. Bring it out and put it in a wide pot. Pour out the remaining water and use your hands to simultaneously apply pressure on the akwu as if you are washing cloth. Do this for 15 minutes and sieve it out. Completely separate the akwu chaff from the thick reddish-orange pulp. Add a little water if it is too thick.
Set it aside. Boil hot water and use it to wash the dried fishes. Breakaway the heads of the fishes(they usually have sand), Pour the hot water on the fishes in a basin, pick them out and open them(mind your hand). Remove the bones of the fishes. Pour fresh hot water on them again and use a small paddle to stir it. Bring them out. Place the akwu pulp on heat and add the meat and it's broth to the mixture. Add your knorr seasoning, crayfish, onion, pepper, salt. On another side place the fishes in a small pot, add onions, a pinch of salt and one knorr and allow it to boil for 20 minutes. Add the fish broth to the akwu and cover the pot. Allow it to boil for 20 minutes. Now, finely cut your Clove Basil(Igbo's call this nchanwu) and add it into the pot. If you add it earlier, it will crinkle and turn black or dark green(not good). Allow it cook for 20 minutes and bring down.


Sieving out the Akwu chaff from the pulp.



Meat broth.



How to Cook Boiled Rice:

Ingredients:
Raw uncooked per boiled rice.
A spoon of salt to taste.

Method:
 Measure out the quantity of rice you want to cook.
Pour water into a clean medium pot, allow it to boil. 
Wash the rice in clean water and sieve out.
Add the washed rice into the boiling water.
Allow it to boil for 15-20minutes.
Drain the water away from the rice and our it into a bowl.
Wash out remaining rice from the pot and add it to the bowl. Add clean water into the pot and boil.
While the water is on heat, wash the rice. Add clean water into the bowl of rice. Use your two palms to continuously and simultaneously rub against the rice. Drain out the creamy-like water. Repeat this three or four times(depending on how starchy the rice you're cooking is).
Finally, transfer it to a sieve and wait for the water on heat/fire to boil, then pour it into the pot.
Add a pinch of salt and slightly cover the pot(leave it half open). If you cover it thoroughly, the water might spill(this can be a nasty mess).
Once the water in the rice dries up, it's ready.


 Finished Ofe Akwu and white rice(I scooped out little ofe akwu for the sake of this picture, the remaining are chilling in the freezer)

Serve yourself as the hunger take hook you for neck. Please this food has a lot of calories o, mind how you eat it. It is not a morning, afternoon and night food, everyday.OYO(on your own)!


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Let's Talk:
Hi love, so, I did a little thinking (okay deep because I have thought about this for a long time). I can't post here everyday even if I want to. I have school. This year, God has been so good to me, that I don't want to be a bozo by throwing out all that grace. I have to support that grace by adding my own quota. I need to study and concentrate more on my academics. But, at the same time, I don't want to feel like I am wasting my creative time/gift. Don't get me wrong, this blog doesn't eat away my time..it's just that I think about it a whole lot. What am I doing this week? Have I done the post yet? What if people don't read it? Will they be able to connect? Am I straying away from what I set out to achieve? Each time I publish a post, I pray it inspires someone in at least a little way. I know, this is crazy yeh?..Oh well..

By God's grace, in the future I hope to increase this, or, stick with it. What do you think?
It's been an awesome period under the pseudonym Yochanan.
It's time to try new things and explore more..
I  sincerely hope this blog warms your heart and makes you smile each time you visit..talk to me via comment,it's free..

I wrote this post how I prepare ofe akwu, yours may differ. ALL PICTURES except the first picture which is a scene of Lagos Island ARE MINE, I openly give credit to whoever owns the first picture.

Please forgive the poor lighting..I took them at night.

Comments

  1. Your Blog is so good! my blog is www.eliabu.blogsp.com @ furahanews1@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

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