Cooking: How to cook delicious ukwa (African breadfruit) – Recipe

Ukwa is an excellent source of various nutrients. Ukwa, also known as breadfruit porridge, is a traditional Nigerian meal that comes from the eastern part of Nigeria. It is made out of the fruit of the Treculia Africana tree that many call African breadfruit.

100 grams of ukwa contain 10% of good (unsaturated) fats, up to 15% of protein, 25% of carbohydrates and 2% of fibre. This meal also contains Vitamin C, folic acid and beta-carotene. The 100-gram serving of ukwa is only around 240 kcal, which makes it a perfect meal option for those who are watching their figure or struggling with diabetes.

Ingredients

620 grams of breadfruit seeds (preferably fresh)

3/4 teaspoons of potash Akaun

100 grams of dry prawns or fish

3 diced Scotch Bonnet peppers

1 1/2 tablespoon of palm oil

3 tablespoons of ground crayfish

2 flavour cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

Bitter leaf/ugu leaf(optional)

Onions (optional)

Steps

Step 1: Begin by picking the breadfruit seeds to remove any unwanted particles or dirt.

Step 2: Pound the Akaun into a fine powder and mix it with half a cup of water. Mix until it is dissolved and set the mixture aside. We will be using potash as a tenderizing agent, as it would take much longer for ukwa to cook without it.

Step 3: Take the picked and sorted breadfruit seeds and wash them thoroughly. You need to make sure all the sand and dirt are gone before you move on to the next step.

Step 4: Put the seeds in a pot, pour just enough water so that it covers them and set the pot on the stove. Turn the stove on the medium heat and leave the seeds to boil for at least half an hour.

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Step 5: Grab your mixture of water and potash, give it another stir and pour it into your pot. Be extra careful not to pour the residue in the pot, as it should not go in your food. Discard the leftovers of the potash mixture.

Step 6: If you see that there is too little water in the pot, you can add a little bit more. Give ukwa 10 more minutes to soften.

Step 7: Wash and soak the prawns/fish thoroughly. If you are using fish, debone it and break it into small pieces. If you are using prawns, simply remove their heads. Add them to the ukwa, along with the Scotch Bonnet peppers, flavour cubes, salt and pepper (and the onion, if you are using it). Leave the whole thing for another ten minutes to boil.

Step 8: Add the palm oil and ground crayfish to the pot. Stir them in and leave your ukwa to boil until there is no more water in the pot.

Step 9: If you have decided to go with the greens (i.e. Ugu, spring greens, bitter leaf or spinach) add them now. If not, skip this step.

Step 10:  Stir in the boiled maize or sweet corn, and your ukwa is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Hints

You can avoid using potash or Ngu altogether if you soak your breadfruit seeds beforehand. Just leave them to soak for at least three hours. The cooler ukwa gets, the thicker it becomes. Some say that it makes the breadfruit porridge even more delicious.