How To Prepare Amala And Ewedu Soup

Amala and Ewedu soup are two of the most common Nigerian delicacies.  Amala is made from yam or plantain flour.  It is easy to prepare, and also easy to ruin.  The same goes with Ewedu, which is made from a vegetable of the same name, Ewedu.  In Nigeria, Amala and Ewedu are eaten with different types of soup, but we will be focusing here on eating them with stew (tomato sauce).

Recipe for Preparing Amala and Ewedu Stew

INGREDIENTS

1. Yam flour (Elubo)
2. Water
3. Ewedu leaf (Corchorus olitorius)
4. Kohun (bicarbonate of soda)
5. Blended pepper
6. Meat or fish
7. Salt
8. Seasonings
9. Palm oil

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR PREPARING AMALA

1. Turning stick (or thin wooden spatula)
2. Pot
3. Spoon
4. “Ijabe” (mash broom) or use a blender.

STEPS IN PREPARING THE STEW (TOMATO SAUCE)

1. Put your clean pot on your cooker, and let it dry.
2. Pour in the oil and let it bleach for about 3 minutes.  (Note:  if you are asthmatic, don’t use red oil, also known as palm oil – use an alternative, such as olive oil.  Palm oil has a low smoke point and could cause breathing problems.)
3. When the oil is well bleached, pour in your blended pepper and fresh tomatoes, cover the pot, bring to a boil, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Add seasoning to your taste.
5. Add your meat or fish.
6. Cover and simmer for up to 5 minutes.  When it has thickened but not too thick, it is ready for eating.

next is to prepare your Ewedu…

PREPARATION OF EWEDU 

First of all, pick your Ewedu, just the leaf, no stems.

1. Put a saucepan of water onto the cooker (about 1 cup of water to 4 or 5 cups of Ewedu leaf).
2. Add a small amount of kohun (bicarbonate of soda), and bring the water to the boil.
3. When the water and kohun have boiled, rinse your Ewedu leaf and add it to the pot.  Bring back to the boil and simmer until the leaf is very soft and draws (is viscous).
4. Remove the pot from the heat.
5. Rinse your ijabe (mash broom), or any simple utensil or a sharp knife that you can use to mash the Ewedu.  Then mash the Ewedu until it is smoothly blended.  Then it is ready to eat.

PREPARATION OF AMALA

1. Pour water into a pot and put it on the cooker to boil.  (As the water is boiling, prepare a bowl of cold water in case you need to rinse your hands because of the heat).
2. When the water has boiled, take it off the heat and pour in the Elubo (yam flour).  Beat quickly, using the turning stick (or thin wooden spatula) until it is smooth and not lumpy.
3. Add a little water, about 1 cup, and make holes in the Amala so the water can reach everywhere.  Cover put back on low heat and cook for about 7 minutes.
4. Then turn again until it is well blended and smooth. Then your Amala is ready for eating.

Serve it alongside the Ewedu and stew

 

 

If you’d like to make another of my African dishes, try How To Prepare Moin-Moin In Nylon