Àmàlà With Gbegiri And Ewedu Soup

I am Kehinde by name. A Nigerian by country and a certified yoruba man by tribe.

I want to quickly pinch my mouth on this one of my favorite meals as an african man, the Àmàlà with Gbegiri and Ewedu mixture. oh yummy.... This special kind of dish is eaten in most Western part of my country. And due to its much gained popularity across the Nation, it’s become a common feature on menu lists in parties and even in trendy restaurants. Yes, I’m talking about none other than Gbegiri and Ewedu soup with Àmàlà ..combo toh bad!

Let me briefly talk about each of these:

• Àmàlà is a Nigerian food made out of yam flour and/or cassava flour, it is also called elubo. Yam is white in colour but it turns into a brownish colour after it has been dried; this gives àmàlà its thick brown color.

• Gbegiri which is the main attraction is a tasty soup made out of super food - beans. Naturally low in fat, highly packed with antioxidants and fibre, and brimming with cholesterol-free protein, beans are must-have in our everyday diets.

• Very low in calorie and known to be an effective fat-burner, more rewards from ewedu are - good eyesight, healthy teeth and bones, strong immunity and firm young-looking skin.

Now i am sure you are wondering how to prepare these mouth watering meal. Let's have a run down of ingredients needed before i give the steps to cook these meal.

Ingredients:

• Yam Flour (Elubo)

• Ewedu leaves

• Beans

• Locust beans

• Scotch bonnets (ata rodo)

• Bell Peppers (optional)

• Onions

• Chilli Peppers

• Cooking spoon Palm oil

• Grounded Crayfish

• Seasoning cubes

• Salt to taste

(if you are not having any of these ingredients, do not attempt to cook these meal)

Let's cook now:

Step 1 (Amala preparation):

Bring water to boil in a pot. Still on the stove, sprinkle in yam flour and turn with a wooden ladle till you’ve it smooth and solid. To ensure it’s well cooked, add a bit of water, then cover to steam on low heat for about 3-5 minutes. Stir properly and your soft amala is ready!

Step 2 (Gbegiri preparation):

Peel beans using any technique you find convenient then wash thoroughly to remove skin residue. Next, pour peeled beans into a cooking pot with enough water to cook it soft. When beans are very soft, mash with a jute broom while still in pot or pour into a blender and puree into a smooth consistency.

Pour pureed cooked beans into pot; add blended peppers/onion, palm oil, seasoning cubes, ground crayfish and leave to cook. Tate for salt and add some more water if too thick.

Step 3 (Ewedu preparation):

Pour thoroughly washed ewedu leaves into blender and blend. Pour back into a small pot; add locust beans, ground crayfish and a pinch of salt to taste. Allow to cook on low heat.

All set! Enjoy your mouth dripping meal. Best served as LUNCH!!!