How to make a Typical Enugu Okpa (Bambara Nuts)

Hey guys, welcome back to Tiger Kitchen. In today's episode, we're making Okpa. If you travel a lot along the eastern route of Nigeria, especially in Enugu, you must have heard Okpa hawkers shouting 'Okpa Di Oku' and you have probably eaten it. Okpa is a dish made by the Igbo people using Bambara nuts. Bambara nuts are hard, so people think only big machines can grind them into powder. If you have a strong blender, you can grind them yourself. Just take out any bad nuts, put them in the blender, and blend until it's smooth. After that, use a sieve over a bowl to get rid of the chaffs left in the powder. Well, you can as well decide to buy already blended Okpa powder from the market to save yourself the stress. Okpa is a tasty snack loved by people, especially people in Eastern part of Nigeria. It's a popular street food. Okpa is cheap, filling, and really delicious.
What's great about Enugu Okpa is its simplicity in ingredients. With just Okpa flour on hand, you can easily whip up your own authentic Enugu Okpa without hassle. All you need to include is your usual salt and pepper.

Ingredients needed include:

500g Bambara nut powder (Okpa flour)
3 cups of palm oil
3 tablespoons of salt
2 tablespoons of ground pepper
10 cups of warm water (at a temperature safe enough for handling)
1 tablespoon of Uziza powder for flavouring

Procedure:

Step 1: First, cut the pepper to your preferred size. Also, make sure you have plenty of lukewarm water ready for mixing.

Step 2: Get a clean bowl and put in the Okpa flour. This flour is the main ingredient. . Add the palm oil. Mix it well with the flour until they're blended together. When you're done, it should have a smooth, even yellow colour.

Step 3: Start pouring the lukewarm water into the Okpa flour and mix until there are no lumps. Mix well to make a smooth batter without lumps.

Step 4: Now, add the chopped pepper, uziza and salt. Mix everything well.

Step 5: Fill a clean pot with water and put it on the burner to boil. This water will cook the Okpa later.

Step 6: Traditionally, Okpa is wrapped in banana or plantain leaves for a special aroma. But if you don't have them, you can use plastic bag.

Step 7: Use a deep spoon or a cup to put the Okpa batter on the wrapping material. Wrap each portion tightly to keep it sealed.

Step 8: Carefully put the wrapped Okpa into the boiling water. Let them cook for about 50 minutes to 1 hour until they're firm and cooked through.

Step 9: Take out the cooked Okpa and unwrap them. Serve them very hot for an authentic Enugu taste. Enjoy with Tiger Ginger Drink

In conclusion, Okpa is a healthy dish full of calcium and phosphorus that helps keep your bones strong and prevents bone diseases. The protein in it helps your body use calcium better for good health. We hope you like this recipe and our other food ideas on our blog.

We'd love to hear what you think, so please leave a comment below.