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Ukwa na Ugba (Breadfruit and African vegetable porridge)
These two hearty porridges, Ukwa with plantain and Ugba with beans and veggies, offer a nutritious, flavourful fusion of traditional Eastern Nigerian cuisine.
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 pot
Ingredients
Ukwa Ingredients
- African breadfruit (ukwa)
- Tofu
- Unripe plantain, peeled and sliced
- Corn (optional)
- Water
- Pinch of potash (ngo)
- Salt, to taste
- Palm oil
- Hot leaves (Uziza)
Ugba Ingredients:
- Cooked akidi (black beans)
- Fermented ugba (oil bean slices)
- Sweet potato, diced
- Bitter garden eggs (likok), diced
- Onions (both grated and sliced as rings)
- Garlic, grated
- Pumpkin leaves
- Hot leaves (Uziza)
- Palm oil
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Ukwa Instructions:
- Thoroughly wash the ukwa until the water runs clear.
- Place in a pot, cover completely with water, and bring to a boil.
- Dissolve a small amount of potash in water and stir into the ukwa to help soften it faster.
- Once ukwa is tender, add the sliced plantain and corn, cooking until they soften.
- Season with salt and serve for “white” breadfruit porridge.
- Add palm oil and hot leaves if making porridge.
Ugba Instructions:
- Wash all beans, ugba, and vegetables thoroughly.
- In a pot, lightly steam the black beans, sweet potato, and bitter garden eggs with minimal water.
- Add salt, grated onion, garlic, and ugba; continue to cook until water evaporates and vegetables are tender.
- Stir in palm oil and chopped greens (pumpkin and hot leaves), briefly heating through.
- Turn off the heat and garnish with onion rings on top before serving.
Notes
- Use minimal water for the ugba porridge so it steams rather than boils.
- Ensure the ukwa itself is very soft before adding secondary ingredients for the best texture and flavour.
- Clean and rinse all ingredients well to remove impurities.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Healthy Food
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: African
Keywords: Ukwa, African breadfruit porridge, breadfruit, Ukwa porridge, potash (ngo), plantain, corn, scent leaves, palm oil, Nigerian porridge, traditional Igbo dish Ugba, oil bean seed, black beans porridge, Ugba porridge, sweet potato, garden egg, bitter eggplant (likok), iru, garlic, pumpkin leaves, leafy greens, Nigerian bean porridge