Abacha Ncha (Dried Cassava with Garden Eggs) Recipe

This is a classic traditional Eastern Nigerian recipe (from the Igbo tribe). Abacha represent strips of shredded and dried cassava or tapioca. I have seen tapioca used instead of cassava to make this, but proper abacha is better. This can be used as an accompaniment, a meal in itself or served as a snack with drinks.

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup palm oil
• 6 garden eggs (round yellow-green aubergines), finely chopped
• 400g Abacha (shredded and dried cassava)
• 10 small pieces of stockfish (dried fish)
• 10 pieces of ponmo (cow skin)
• 100g ugba (fermented oil beans), sliced into strips
• 1 tablespoon uziza leaves (Guinea pepper leaves) or any spicy leaves, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon akaun (potash, potassium carbonate) or baking powder
• 1 stock cube (maggi)
• 2 hot chillies, pounded to a paste
• 2 tablespoon ground crayfish
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Wash and season the stockfish (dried fish) and ponmo (cow skin) to your liking, place in a pot of water and cook for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until tender
• Meanwhile, wash the abacha, place in a bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Drain out the water, and return the abacha back to the bowl then pour in boiling water. Immediately drain in a colander and set aside to finish draining for 15 minutes
• Dissolve the potash in about 60ml warm water. Add the palm oil to it and mix well
• Set a pan on medium heat, pour in the mixture and allow to heat for about 2 minutes
• Stir in the pounded chillies, ground crayfish, garden egg and stock cube. Stir thoroughly 
• Add in the stockfish, cow skin, ugba and the garden eggs. Bring to a simmer the add the abacha and mix thoroughly to combine
• Simmer until thickened and cooked through. Then add the salt and stir before turning onto a serving dish
• Garnish with the uziza leaves and serve