RECIPE: VEGETABLE YAM WITH UGBA

Ugba is the Igbo name for the fermented African OIlbean seeds (Pentaclethra macrophylla, Benth). It is called Ukana by the Efiks in Southern Nigeria. It is consumed by an estimated 15 million people in Eastern Nigeria, majority of whom are Igbos. The beans that have been fermented for more than three days are taken as a delicacy. Well fermented beans are added to soup as flavouring. It is widely consumed in eastern states of Nigeria with tapioca, stock fish and garden eggs and leaves. It can also be eaten with bitter kola (Garcinia kola) or kola nuts (Cola acuminate and C. nitida) and when prepared with garden egg leaves is used to eat yam and cocoyam. It is an important and cheap source of protein for people whose staple foods are deficient in proteins…SOURCE SCIENCE ALERT

This recipe reminds me on my childhood, we will sit in circle while my mom will cook and tell us stories. My mom prepares it with palm oil but I made mine with olive oil. There’s nothing wrong with palm oil but I had a terrible experience with palm oil back in the UK, I just let it be.

VEGETABLE YAM & UGBA

Print Recipe

Reliving my childhood memories

• CourseMain Dish

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	30 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Servings Prep Time 4 people 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

VEGETABLE YAM & UGBA Print Recipe Reliving my childhood memories CourseMain Dish Servings Prep Time 4 people 30 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Servings Prep Time 4 people 30 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 grams yam
• 4 cups pumpkin leaves (ugu) you can use spinach or any green leave
• 200 grams Fish use any fish -dry, stock or fresh
• 2 cups ugba
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or palm oil
• 3 Tbsp crushed hot pepper blended /crushed
• salt
• 2 Stock cube
• 1 cup onions sliced (I love onions)

Servings: people

Instructions

1. Peel and cut the yam tuber in cubes. Wash, boil in salt water until yam is soft. Bring down, pour out water and let yam cool
2. Wash and cut vegetables and set aside. Slice onions and set aside Get pepper ready
3. Cook fish in little seasoned water (little water so the yam is not flowing in fish stock)
4. Get the ugba aside, you can wash or not.

   
5. Put cooked yam in a pot under low heat, add olive oil, onions, pepper, 1 stock cube and fish with the little stock. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes
6. Then add vegetable and ugba. Stir properly with wooden stick. Allow to simmer for another 5 minutes then taste for salt. Food is ready
7. Best way to enjoy this meal is by hand, no cutlery

   

Recipe Notes

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