African Salad

African salad (Abacha food) is a delicious west African food that is native to the ndi Igbo (people of Igbo). I can prepare this delicacy within 15 minutes and it requires just cassava flakes, palm oil, crayfish, ugba and some other spices.

Abacha is very popular in the eastern part of Nigeria; it is one of the most Popular Igbo Foods; I don’t visit Eastern part of the country and come back without having a taste of this Nigerian delicacy.

African Salad is Igbo Food

Abacha – as the Igbos love to call it – is one of the most popular food in the eastern Nigeria, it serves best as kola to visitors.

There are villages in the eastern part of Nigeria that only offer ugba or abacha to visitors and even visitors love and desire the delicious delicacy.

Abacha

How To Make Abacha From Cassava

The fresh Abacha (African salad is a by-product of cassava). There are a lot of processes involved with obtaining the fresh abacha that is used in preparing the African salad that we all know.

Most rural dwellers are very familiar with turning cassava tubers into dried abacha that is used for this recipe.

The first thing to do (if you live in the village or own a farm) is to get cassava tubers.

Wash thoroughly and boil along with water for twenty to thirty minutes then pill to remove the brown outer layer, and cut to tiny bits.

I then soaked the sliced cassava in water for 18 hours. The last thing to do would be to wash thoroughly with clean water then sun-dry and store in an airtight container.

Dried cassava chips can last more than a year if stored in an air tight dry environment.
dried abacha

That above is dried abacha.

But if you live in developed cities you probably wouldn’t need to go through this cumbersome process, just buy every ingredient in the market.

Here are the ingredients that are needed for preparing Abacha (African salad) whether you are within or outside Nigeria.

Ingredients for African Salads

6 to 8 cups of Abacha (African Salad) {image above}
Ehu 3 seeds (optional)
2 cups Of Ugba (Ukpaka)
half cup of crayfish
1 seasoning cube
150ml of palm oil
Edible powdered potash(1 teaspoon)
salt and pepper to taste.
3 garden eggs (optional)
Utazi leaves (optional)
Garden egg leaves (optional) (images below.)
Meat/dry fish or stock fish.(optional)

I told you I serve most Nigerian foods with either fish or meat. Even the African Salad (Abacha) is also served with either fish, meat or even stock fish (okporoko).

Although, I have not included meat, fish or okporoko in this recipe.

ingredients for abacha
Ugba in one plate, ground crafish/ground ehu in another plate.

In the end, you spice up with this leaves, garden eggs and onions.
Spiced abacha

Preparation

I enjoy using the dried abacha (as you would find in the plate above) instead of the freshly made wet abacha the only reason is that the former gives you the advantage of heating at the beginning for a few minutes without getting overly wet.

You can either heat or soak the dry Abacha in boiled water for about three minutes, then sieve and keep on a separate bowl.

Blend your crayfish and also slice the onions, garden egg leaves. It is advisable to dissolve the powdered potash in about half a cup of clean water; this is a trick I employ just filter out unwanted solid materials that are often embedded in potash.

How to Prepare African Salad – Abacha Food

Filter the dissolved potash into a mortar or pot, leaving out the residue.

Add about 100ml of palm oil and stir to form a yellowish paste (ncha, as addressed by the igbos),
Making nigerian abacha

This is the first part of making Abacha (African Salad), stir very well to get the yellowish paste. Then add the ground crayfish and pepper, stir, then add the ground ehu if you like.

Ugba is an important ingredient in making African salad, I consider it incomplete without the presence of this ingredient. Ugba is usually sold in most Nigerian markets or African shops (if you live outside Nigeria).

Add the ugba to the mixture and stir, and then add the abacha, salt. It is advisable to heat the abacha (using the method outlined above) just a few seconds before you use so it doesn’t get cold.

Most people in Nigeria like their Abacha to be a little warm.

Abachi making

Stir the whole combination and you are almost through with the preparation part.

The Toppings

The garden eggs, the leaves, and the onions are used to spice up or for decoration and not added during preparation but while dishing out.

They sliced and kept aside in different plates or bowls, then added while I dish individual plates out; this also goes for the meat or fish used.

Serve with the meat and also add the garden eggs (sliced) and leaves to individual plate.

African Salad

Most people in the rural centers like to take African salad with palm wine. So get a bottle of palm wine or your favorite soft drink.

African salad recipe

African Salad Recipe | Abacha Igbo Foods

Chef Chidi
African salad (abacha) is a popular delicacy in Igboland, Nigeria.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Nigerian Cuisine
Servings 4 People
Calories 228 kcal

Equipment

  • Pots

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups Dried Abacha
  • 2 ehu seeds calabash nutmeg
  • 2 cups Ugba Ukpaka
  • 1/2 cup crayfish
  • 2 seasoning cubes
  • 100 ml of palm oil
  • 1 tsp Powdered potash
  • salt and pepper to taste.
  • 5 garden eggs
  • Utazi leaves
  • Garden egg leaves
  • Meat/dry fish or stockfish. optional

Instructions
 

  • Blend your crayfish and also dissolve your potash in half a cup of water.
  • Slice the onions, garden egg leaves. and Utazi leaves. Set aside, they will be used as the topping.
  • Soak the dried Abacha in boiled water, allow three minutes and drain the water.
  • Transfer into a sieve to allow water drain further.
  • Heat the ugba in a small pot with 3 tbsp water (30ml) and allow to heat for 4 minutes
  • Filter the dissolved potash into a mortar or pot leaving out the residue.
  • Add 150 ml of palm oil to it and stir until it forms a thick-yellowish paste
  • Stir properly before adding the crayfish and pepper, followed by the ground ehu.
  • Add the Ugba and a seasoning cube. Stir all together and taste for salt.
  • Now you can add the abacha
  • Serve with fried meat or fish. Then the leaves and a few slices of onions.

Video

Keyword abacha, African salad, Igbo Cooking, Igbo Foods

Video on Making African Salad

Below is the video guide on making Abacha (African salads), it includes a detailed guide as well as all the ingredients used in the process.

Other Nigerian Delicious Foods

These two foods share certain resemblance African Breadfruit – Ukwa

There is another delicious igbo recipe that I don’t like to miss when I am in the village; it’s boiled white Yam with Palm Oil Sauce.

The sauce is made with palm oil, ugba/upkaka, pepper, salt and ogiri (which is optional).

54 Comments

Stanley
Reply

5 stars
Thanks very much

July 7, 2023
victOr
Reply

I love dis

September 28, 2022
Edeh Joy
Reply

Is it necessary to add akidi and how do you add it and at what time do you add it while preparing

July 5, 2022
Chy Anegbu
Reply

I have not yet made a combination of akidi and abacha, but maybe someday. Thanks for your comment.

July 12, 2022
Rotimi Abatan
Reply

Good job Ma!!!
Why can’t we call the garden egg in its real name- ‘AYARAN’; to differentiate it from the regular garden egg ( English)
Rotimi

January 31, 2022
Amarachi
Reply

Pls Anty Chidi i want to prepare Abacha na Akidi (Black Beans) and also okpa. I want to make it today wan am back from church pls. Thank you

April 25, 2021
Chidinma
Reply

5 stars
Thanks very much

July 29, 2020
Uba blessing
Reply

5 stars
I really love this, i have been seeing this but i do ignore it thinking it’s not important. my dear you really tried, i really appreciate alot for this thanks

January 21, 2020
Nnamdi
Reply

how did abacha contributed to the economic development of Enugu

March 28, 2019
Regina
Reply

Can a pregnant woman eat abacha prepared with potach/kaun/akanwa

March 28, 2019
Favor
Reply

5 stars
Yes I guess but it depends if ur body system will accept it! I mean now you’re pregnant . but try it out and see. Thank you.. Hope this helps?

November 15, 2020
Juliet
Reply

Please what is this ehuru

February 14, 2019
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Calabash nutmeg, you can look it up using the search engine.

February 19, 2019
Winifred
Reply

I really appreciate dis site, just yesterday my husband asked me if I know how to make African salad, of course I told him no, because I couldn’t, but with this,am gonna make it for him, am sure it’s gonna surprise him. Thank you so so much.

April 20, 2018
Queen Success
Reply

I want to follow u

February 1, 2018
ann
Reply

Is there a way to prepare abacha without “ncha”. For example, frying the oil?

December 16, 2017
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Yeah, that is done too.

December 20, 2017
Precious
Reply

am happy for this website God bless u all

March 14, 2017
Nnenna
Reply

Wow, your work is incredible and lovely. Can’t say how grateful I am you you, am glad I bombed into this site today and I just subscribe to it. I would love to learn more. Thanks

January 22, 2017
Queen
Reply

God bless u dear, ur site hve really helped alot of us. God wil reveal more recipes to u.

September 24, 2016
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Amen, Thanks for your feedback.

September 24, 2016
Ogbonna Michael
Reply

May God bless this site. I am from University of Nigeria Nsukka, I was given assignment on how to prepare abacha, guese where I got my four page answere?

February 17, 2016
auta
Reply

Please is it the potash water that you would add to the oil or the potash residue..really need to know cos I tried putting the water to the oil and it was awful..lol

February 1, 2016
chika
Reply

Chidi
A great job was done there. Funny enough my hubby favourite dish, I thougt it was difficult to make. This evening it MUST be prepared.
Thanks a lot.

October 17, 2015
Hope
Reply

I’ am grateful for I can now proudly prepare my Abacha without asking too much questions. Thanks and God bless for your info.

September 2, 2015
eric
Reply

i love this site,, from now on my shape of preparing my salad will change

August 31, 2015
Marian
Reply

Keep up the good work.. But what happened to the Ehuru… I didn’t see you add it?

August 16, 2015
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

The ground ehuru is added the same time as ground crayfish, half teaspoon is enough.

August 17, 2015
Purity
Reply

we the Enugu state call it abachugba. I Luv it

June 1, 2015
Pretty
Reply

I did not see where youb added “Ogili Igbo” did u forget? because Abacha cannot be complete without ogili igbo!

This site is quite educative…Keep it Up.

January 9, 2015
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

I did add ogili, see the video. However, it is not compulsory.

January 10, 2015
Victoria
Reply

Wow…Keep up the good work sis! More recipes pls…esp Okpa…thanks!

January 5, 2015
FAVOUR
Reply

WOW!!! from now on my way of preparing salad will now take a different shape. i love this site.
please keep sending me more recipes on how to prepare other food or soup.
i will love to also take part in the cooking competition.

NIGERIAN KITCHEN MORE STRENGTH TO YOUR ELBOW.
I SAY BRAVO!!!

October 22, 2014
Ifeyinwa
Reply

I love this site,pls kip d gud work up.My cooking has changed so much
Pls I would love to hav d Okpa recipe too.

October 7, 2014
Tosin
Reply

Pls, I need the recipe for okpa. Thanks, keep up the good work

September 17, 2014
meme
Reply

potash is not good for consumption due to the particles in it dat is harmful to human health. U can use roasted palmfrond leave which is the main solution for making “ngòò or soup for abbacha. I LIKE DIS SITE FOR REAL. I HAVE TRIED COOKING LOTS OF FOOD THROUGH DIS SITE. KUDOS TO ALL IN D HOUSE!!!

September 11, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Thanks for your tips Meme, there are just so much we eat in this world that can cause harm to our body, however, if you eat them occasionally and in small quantity, the body can deal with that much, thanks for your comment.

September 13, 2014
Ogechi
Reply

I hope to try this out. It’s good to know we have somewhere reliable to get most of these Nigerian food recipe. It’s a job well done

July 22, 2014
isioma
Reply

My hubby don’t like eatin abacha but after doing it step by step it came out delicious am so grateful kip on d gud work

May 6, 2014
Justina
Reply

African salad is good i try to prepard and it comes out very yumm.

April 12, 2014
patty
Reply

There is this Igbo food call Okpa is like moi moi but is not. I would like to kown d recipe for dat food. I apprecaite dis site. Keep d gud work. Our culture most not fade away.

February 7, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Patty, thanks for the comment, I will send you the article on how to make okpa.

February 12, 2014
Godswill Onyebest
Reply

I will like to learn how to prepare this

April 5, 2020
jully
Reply

whoa it look so delicious i will like to learn more how to prepare abacha because my is not like this pls.

December 28, 2013
The Nigerian Kitchen
Reply

Hello Nelly, thanks for your comment, I have not heard anything about edible potash causing kidney troubles. However you need only a tiny piece when preparing African Salad and it would be definitely alright if you consume only a small amount in a whole week. Even penicillin causes problems when taken in large quantity at a particular time :wink:. thanks

November 15, 2013
nelly may
Reply

Dear Chidi,

I definitely enjoy African salad as my best dish but the problem i have is the claim that the edible potash used in its preparation causes kidney problem,i do not know how true that is but it has definitely affected the intake of my favorite dish.
Is this claim factual?Is there any other way out of it?
Please help!!

November 14, 2013
Anita
Reply

I like to take this with palm wine, that is the way we do it where I come from. I am a typical igbo man. My mum makes the best abacha in the whole world. You are also great, Judging from your video. Infact you just got me hungry. Please I will like to know the recipe for nkwobi.

July 14, 2013
Blessing
Reply

I have been making Nigerian foods for a very long time but I haven’t quite thought of foods for other Nigerian tribes. I am from cross river and I am surprised that you can make most of the cross river foods even when you are from Igbo. I think I will also learn to make igbo foods, It would be nice to start with African salad. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and videos too. I am blessing by name

July 9, 2013
Anita
Reply

Hello dear, thanks for setting up this wonderful recipe. I love all Nigerian foods and would really love to be able to make foods for my family. I was brought up in the UK but ended up being married to a Nigerian man. Thanks for this wonderful articles and ebooks, I love the “50 Delicious Nigerian Recipes”. I have been able to make different Nigerian food, I made fried rice last night but have not tried this particular recipe (african salad) because I can’t find the ingredients here in the UK. Thanks for the Great work.
Anita

July 4, 2013
ann
Reply

I love this Nigerian recipe. I would love to learn about other desserts

July 4, 2013
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

African salad is definitely my number one Nigerian evening dessert

November 13, 2012
Esther Nwankwo
Reply

Is there any other thing one can use to substitute the potash, because the last time I used it it purge me.

June 22, 2020
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

There is another native ash, ngu. Is it possible that you used too much? half a teaspoon is enough.

June 23, 2020
ckekeocha

You can use baking soda or bicarbonate soda as an alternative and gives the result. I don’t like potash.

December 7, 2020

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