Fura da nono is a nutritious and refreshing drink made from fermented milk and ground millet grains. The Fura balls are made from ground millet and spiced with ginger, cloves and sometimes, pepper while the nono is made from cow milk.

It is native to the Fulani people, a tribe found in Nigeria’s north and across West Africa, and who are traditional herdsmen. Traditionally, Fura da nono is served in a round calabash bowl and eaten with a wooden ladle.

A bowl of fura and nono balls. nigeriagalleria.com

Nutritional Benefit

Millet is gluten free with lots of minerals and vitamins B5, B 12. It’s a good source of Magnesium, Fibre, Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Manganese, Riboflavin, Iodine, Zinc and antioxidants.

Health Benefits

Fura da nono supports good health and has numerous health benefits. It helps reduce the risk of having type 2 diabetes, protect against breast cancer and reduces the severity of asthma. It also helps in fat metabolism and repair of body tissues.

Likewise, the vitamin B3 in millet helps to lower cholesterol in the body while magnesium reduces the effects of migraines and protects the heart. In addition, it promotes digestion, prevents constipation, and helps to alleviate diarrhoea.

Feature image: healthcabal.com

This article The Origin of Nigerian Foods: Fura Da Nono appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Chinese fried rice is both delicious and nutritious, with a very delightful aroma. The combination of greens, vegetables and eggs make it a wholesome meal. Amazingly, it’s easy to make.

Ingredients

Rice (you may also use basmati rice)

Green beans

Carrot

Spring onion

White onion

Ginger

Red bell pepper

Garlic

Egg

Seasoning cube

Salt

Vegetable oil

tablefortwoblog.com

How To Prepare

1. Boil your rice until it is done. Keep aside.
2. Chop your vegetables- carrot, spring onion, green beans, white onion, and red bell pepper. Combine all in a bowl and keep aside.
3. Using a small skillet, fry your egg in a little amount of vegetable oil or butter with a pinch of salt and set aside.
4. Place a large skillet on fire, add vegetable oil, and allow to heat.
5. Add your chopped ginger and garlic and stir for a while.
6. Then add the chopped vegetables and fry for about two minutes.
7. Add the cooked rice and fried egg and stir-fry for about five minutes.
8. Finally, add seasoning cubes and salt to taste.

Your yummy Chinese fried rice is ready.

Feature image: tablespoon.com

This article Food Recipe: Chinese Fried Rice appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

The Yorubas enjoy so many natural, healthy native delicacies, and ewa agoyin is one of such. This is one very spicy dish with an extraordinary aroma.

Let me take you through an adventure with this Yoruba delicacy.

Ingredients:

• Brown beans
• Onion
• Seasoning cube
• Dried blended crayfish
• Bell pepper (tatashe)
• Habanero peppers (atarodo)
• Palm oil
• 1 medium onion
• Salt

How To Prepare Ewa:

Ewa. youtube.com/channel/nigeriacuisine

1. First, soak the beans in cold water for some hours. After that, rinse the beans in cold water.
2. Boil the beans until very it’s soft and add salt to taste.
3. Next, mash the beans properly to form sludge.

To Prepare Agoyin Stew:

Agoyin Stew. youtube.com/channel/nigerianfoodchannel

1. Soak the dried pepper in water to soften. Blend the bell pepper, habanero (rodo) pepper and onion and keep aside.
2. Heat your pot on low heat and add palm oil. Allow the oil to bleach for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add onion and stir at intervals. Increase the heat. This takes about 30-40 minutes.
4. In another pot, boil the blended pepper for 15 minutes (to remove excess water).
5. Add the parboiled pepper to the fried onion and cook for about 15 minutes.
6. Add the ground crayfish, seasoning cube and salt to taste.
7. Cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes. The stew will turn into a dark red and have a crisp feel.
8. Serve with the ewa (beans). You can also serve with bread or yam.

This article Ewa Agoyin appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Applesauce is refreshing, delicious and easy to make. It can be used as desserts, a snack or light lunch, with ice creams or yoghurts, or as a garnish to roast meat (pairs well with pork chops). It can also be substituted for butter, oil or eggs in baking.

Also high in pectin, applesauce can serve as a homemade remedy to combat diarrhoea and other stomach problems.

Ingredients

• 1 kg apples
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon (dalchini)
• 1 cup of water

southernkitchen.com

How to Prepare

1. Peel, core and chop apples. Put in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with water.
2. Cover and cook over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes till apples soften. Do not let the apples burn.
3. Mash them a bit to make them pulpy.
4. Stir in the lemon, sugar and cinnamon and cook a little more. Then allow it to cool.
5. Mash with a fork or transfer mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth.
6. Serve warm or chilled.

This article How to Prepare Applesauce appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Acha (fonio) is an exotic millet. It has two species- white (Digitaria exilis) and black (Digitaria iburua), mostly grown across the dry savannas, particularly on the upland plateau of central Nigeria with the black species restricted to the Jos-Bauchi Plateau of Nigeria.

It has amazing flavour, taste, nutritional and health benefits. The grains are used in making porridge, bread, beer, desserts and pasta. It can also be eaten as a cereal, as stir fry or salads.

Nutritional Benefits

Acha grain has excellent nutritional properties vital to human health. It is a gluten-free diet and a rich source of minerals, vitamins, protein, fibre, sulfur, carbohydrate, iron, and amino acids containing methionine and cysteine.

Health Benefits

Acha is an excellent meal for weight loss and diabetes. It is rich in energy and aids digestion because it contains a large quantity of fibre which can reduce bloating, stomach problems, and bowel inconsistencies.

The food is easy to digest hence very good for children and elderly people. It stimulates appetite and secretion of digestive juices, helps in bowel movements and prevents constipation.

Consuming acha aids cardiovascular function and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disorders including heart disease and stroke.

It has insulin-secreting properties and aids in controlling blood sugar levels in the body.

It has essential amino acids, folic acid and iron recommended for pregnant and lactating women and good in preventing anaemia.

Skin and Hair Benefits

Methionine in acha is important for the formation of cartilage. It strengthens the nails and hair, and aids in preventing hair loss.

It also has an anti-aging effect on the skin and helps in detoxification it, thus keeps the skin healthy.

Cystine in acha helps in healing wounds or burns.

This article Origin of Nigerian Foods: Acha (Fonio) appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

For a long time, cooked oatmeal has always been a healthy breakfast option. However, there are more creative ways to eat it: Oatmeal Banana pancake and Oatmeal Swallow.

In Nigeria, “Swallow” is the name given to some staple starchy foods that are eaten with different kinds of Nigerian soups. Moreover, Oatmeal can be made into a swallow, hence our video of the week shows you how you can go about this. Watch the video below:

This article Video Of The Week: How To Make Oatmeal Swallow appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

I made pizza a few days ago and had left over dough. I didn’t want to freeze it or throw it way, so I thought, “Let me make rolls!”

I love this recipe because it’s super fast, cheap and easy to make, plus it’s a great dough for many different things.

Chinyere Raychelle Otiocha

Ingredients

Flour – 3½ cup

Salt – 1 tsp

Vegetable Oil – ¼ cup

Warm Water – 1¼ cup

Sugar – 1 tsp

Active Dry Yeast – 2¾ tsp

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, pour in sifted flour, salt and oil. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, pour in warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir around a bit until yeast is completely dissolved.
3. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and begin to knead with one hand (or use hook attachment with an electric mixer.) When all the flour is incorporated, the dough is ready.
4. Divide the dough into equal pieces (about 100g each) and roll them to form a ball.
5. Place them side by side in a greased pan (9x5inch or 10″ round) lined with parchment (baking paper) *
6. Preheat the oven to 160°C
7. Brush top of rolls with an egg wash ** and let sit for about 15 minutes in a warm place.
8. Place pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 mins. Top should be golden brown when ready.

Enjoyed best when warm!

* I added strawberry jam and a bit of cream cheese in the middle of each of my rolls. This is optional.

** An egg wash is beaten eggs which you can mix with water or milk.

This article ‘Bake It’ With Cheech: Pizza Dough Rolls appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Bambara nut or Bambara beans (Vigna subterranea) is a nutritious legume and a popular staple food in Enugu. It is locally called ọkpa in Igbo, epa-roro in Yoruba and kwaruru or gurjiya in Hausa. It is a drought resistant legume with different species which come in small pods that can be cracked to obtain the hard seeds.

The nuts have a naturally delicious flavour. It is used to make ọkpa, the popular Eastern Nigeria delicacy enjoyed by many. The meal is prepared by removing the outer covering of the seeds and grounding to flour which is used to make a thick solid cake. It can also be roasted and eaten as a snack, or allowed to ferment to make Bambara nut milk.

Nutritional Benefits

Bambara beans have all the essential nutrients the body needs which helps in the prevention of malnutrition. Its nutrients consist of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre content, vitamins, minerals such as manganese, potassium, fluoride, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, sodium, iron, and copper.

Health Benefits

Bambara beans have numerous health benefits.

1. The nuts are rich in iron that boosts blood levels in the body and help in the management of anaemia.
2. It is essential in the therapeutic management of irritable bowel syndrome and severe diarrhoea.
3. The fatty acids in Bambara nuts are able to suppress the production of substances that can harm the stomach’s lining and thus reduce the danger of stomach cancer.
4. It lowers cholesterol levels and is used as part of the treatment for high cholesterol.
5. The minerals contained in Bambara such as calcium maintains healthy bone and protects the body from arthritis, osteoporosis and other related bone diseases.
6. It is a natural remedy for insomnia. They contain amino acids that stimulate a release of serotonin from the brain hence bringing about the mental calmness that makes it easier to fall asleep.

Source: Health Bubbles

This article Origin of Nigerian Foods: Bambara Nut appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Ofe Achara is a delicious and mouth-watering native delicacy indigenous to the Isiala Ngwa and Umuahia people of Abia State, in South Eastern Nigeria. It is usually served to very important visitors and during special occasions which makes it an exotic delicacy. Its satisfying crunchy taste is relished by all.

Achara is gotten from the matured shoots of the edible elephant grass. It has a thick outer dark green skin which encloses the soft edible inner skin with a lighter colour. The outer layers of the shoot are ripped off to expose the tender stem which is broken or cut into smaller pieces and boiled until slightly soft to prepare the achara soup.

Ofe Achara is made from the shoot of the elephant grass. nairaland.com Achara

The soup is often prepared with moulded egusi balls called akpuruakpu mgbam. It is also be prepared with stockfish and relished as a substitute for meat when there is no meat.

Achara has great nutritional value. This nutritious food is a rich source of amino acids, phosphorous, dietary fibre, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper, selenium, vitamin B1, nicotinic acid, calcium, zinc, sodium, riboflavin, carotene and essential minerals. It has high moisture content and is a good source of protein. Also, it is rich in tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and oxalates, but with very little phytate.

Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tannins are known to have antimicrobial activity, as well as other physiological activities.

Flavonoids have a wide range of biochemical and pharmacological activities in mammalian and other biological systems. They possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-allergic, hepatoprotective, anti-thrombic, antiviral and anti-carcinogenic activities.

Saponins reduce the uptake of certain nutrients including glucose and cholesterol at the gut and thus they may aid in lessening the metabolic burden that would have been placed on the liver.

Source: Okaraonye, C.C. and Ikewuchi, J.C. (2009). Nutritional and Antinutritional Components of Pennisetum purpureum (Schumach). Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 8: 32-34.

This article Origin of Nigerian Foods: Ofe Achara (Achara Soup) appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Homemade oils are fresher and healthier than commercial oils which are often extracted with harmful chemical solvents. In essence, you can guarantee their sources. Avocado oil is extracted from the pulp of the avocado fruit. It is healthy, has a lot of nutritional benefits and a whole lot of other uses. It is used as cooking oil, for health and beauty in cosmetics, hair and skin care and also used for lubrication.

To make a significant quantity of avocado oil, you will need a lot of avocados since 1 avocado will only yield about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil or a little less.

Ingredients

• Several ripe avocados
• Coconut oil (optional)

Avocado Oil has a lot of nutritional benefits. theidleman.com

Directions

1. Select several ripe avocados that are slightly soft or springy to the touch, but not mushy.
2. Use a kitchen knife and cut open the avocado into two halves. Pull out the seed, peel off the skin and scoop out the pulp into a bowl.
3. Mash the pulp with a potato masher or mortar and pestle.
4. Place the mashed pulp in a blender and blend into a creamy paste. Add a little water if the pulp is too firm to blend easily. Use a cake batter mixer to blend the pulp if you don’t have a blender. Optionally, you can mix in a little bit of coconut oil at this point to help the avocado pulp release its oil more easily with the ratio of 12 avocados to 1⁄3 cup (79 ml) of coconut oil.
5. Place the blended avocado pulp in a large sauce pan and simmer over very low heat for 40 to 60 minutes, or until it changes from pale green to dark green or brown. Stir the pulp frequently as it cooks, or it may stick to the sides of the pan and burn.
6. Once you begin to see the oil separating from the pulp and pooling at the top of the pan, scoop the mixture into a heat-safe container, such as a metal or ceramic bowl and cover it with a muslin cloth.
7. Let the mixture sit for several minutes to cool down, then flip the bowl over to transfer the pulp onto the cloth and squeeze the oil out of the cooked avocado pulp by hand through the cloth over a clean bowl or directly over a storage container, such as a glass bottle or jar.
8. Your rich, emerald green colour avocado oil is ready. Avocado oil keeps best when stored in the refrigerator. You can store your oil in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a year.

This article How to Make Avocado Oil appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Let’s talk about sugar, we all love it, but hate the effects it has on our bodies.

Two of my favorite substitutes for sugar in baking are Stevia and Agave Nectar.

Stevia is a zero on the Glycemic Index so it’s really better for you, while Agave is a 15 on the Glycemic Index, which is low but not as good as Stevia.

I, however, like to use both in equal parts when substituting sugar. For example, if the recipe calls for 200g of sugar, I’ll do 100g of Stevia and 100g of Agave. I do this because Stevia has a bit of a bitter taste when too much is used in a recipe.

Do note that Agave is a liquid so depending on the recipe, you will have to reduce the amount of liquid the recipe calls for because of the extra liquid the Agave adds. For example, if the recipe calls for 400g of sugar and 250g of milk, I’d change it to 200g of Agave, 200g of Stevia, and 167g of milk (reducing it by ⅓).

Apply this to your next health conscious recipe and see how it turns out!

This article ‘Bake It With Cheech’: Let’s Talk About Sugar appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

In our Video of the week, watch Bukie show you how to prepare Banana Pancakes. The beauty of Banana Pancakes is that they are healthy sugar-free alternative options to regular pancakes. Watch the video below:

This article Video Of The Week: Banana Pancakes Recipe appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

One might be tempted to think that the adage: “the taste of the pudding is in the eating” was referring to the mouthwatering Temburu delicacy.

Temburu, pronounced “Temgburu” is a combination of ripe plantain and yam, boiled separately and pounded together into a smooth texture. It is usually moulded into sizeable balls and relished with fresh fish pepper soup. This special meal offers an unforgettable experience and is very delightsome to the palate.

Temburu is indigenous to the Okrika people of Rivers state in the South-South region. It is served at traditional wedding ceremonies amongst the Ijaws and Kalabari people where it is more popularly known as Onunu. Also, it is normally prepared for a woman after childbirth to help to restore her fitness and improve her appetite for food.

The yam is usually pounded first and then the plantain is gradually added and pounded. It turns out yellow from the palm oil added to it during pounding.

Temburu is highly nutritious, rich in carbohydrate, starch and protein. The assortment of various condiments makes it a nutritious meal.

This article Origin of Nigerian Foods: Temburu appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Funpee Products and Services is a manufacturing and events service company based in Lagos. The business has a presence in multiple niches: it produces and retails an assortment of drinks and food, plans and coordinates events, distributes cleaning products, and runs an academy for aspiring entrepreneurs. That’s more than a handful of concerns to be handling, but this brand appears to be covering them quite well.

The efficiency with which Funpee has dispensed its services may account for its inclusion in the list of ConnectNigeria’s Top 100 Emerging SMEs. This recognition came as the culmination of a nomination and voting process which took place between February and June 2018. Funpee’s large following ensured that it came through from numerous entries and eventually placed with the first twenty businesses on our list.

Funmi Peters, who founded and currently runs Funpee Products and Services, says her business has come about from her long-standing love for cooking and making drinks.

“I remember vividly how much I loved to cook and prepare this special drink called zobo,” she explained in an interview with ConnectNigeria. “In my university days, I made money from drinks and cooking. I realized that it was a God-given talent when everyone who tasted demanded more.”

In 2016, Funmi started up the beverages section of her business. She’s succeeded in building a brand that’s now spreading into other concerns. According to her, the enterprise now runs with a mission to provide “healthy drinks, excellent bespoke events and catering services” which give customers real value for their money.

The variety of drinks on sale from Funpee include fruity zobo juice, smoothies, tiger nut milk, and Nigerian Chapman. These recipes are presented as useful for a range of purposes, from weight loss regimens to party cocktails. They’re all made from locally sourced raw materials, and blended to suit diverse tastes.

Funpee also provides small chops and other catering services for parties. But this is actually just a part of its wider involvement in events planning and coordination, an arm of its operations that’s run by its subsidiary, Funpee Kitchen and Events. They’re as involved with managing event budgets as they are with supplying spicy snacks for parties.

At Funpee’s cleaning products retail section, you’ll find liquid soaps, air fresheners, and cleaning liquids on sale. This part of the company also offers corporate cleaning services.

The brand is styled to appeal to the mass market and targets customers in the lower and middle-income classes. It serves hotels, retailers, restaurants, food vendors and event planners as well.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn the skills they need to grow their businesses at Funpee’s productivity and entrepreneurial training. These programmes tend to fairly priced; Funmi says they’re designed to empower women and youths with the skills they need to thrive as independent businesspeople.

Click here to visit the Funpee Products and Services site.

This article ConnectNigeria’s Top 100 SMEs: Funpee Products and Services appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Only a few people are aware of the amazing benefits of the Kale plant. The most common type, curly kale, has green curly leaves and a hard, fibrous stem.

Like the cabbage and spinach, it can be used in preparing salads, sandwiches, smoothies, or eaten as a steamed vegetable. Kale is loaded with beneficial compounds, some of which have powerful nutritional, health, skin and hair benefits.

Nutritional Profile

Kale is one of the world’s best sources of Vitamin K. It is also an excellent source of Vitamin C, much higher than most other vegetables, and about 4.5 times much as spinach. Other nutrients include vitamins A, B6 and B3; fibre and beta-carotene; antioxidants like Quercetin and Kaempferol; and the minerals- manganese, copper, calcium, potassium and folate.

thespruceeats.com

Health Benefits

• Kale is great for cardiovascular support. It can help lower cholesterol, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and help offer protection against diabetes.
• The antioxidants it contains has numerous cancer-fighting substances which prevent free radical damage that can precipitate cancerous changes in cells.
• It contains the pigments lutein and zeaxanthin which are powerful nutrients that protect the eyes.
• Kale is a great detox food. It is filled with fibre and sulfur, both great for detoxifying the body and keeping the liver healthy.
• Kale consumption can help prevent adherence of harmful bacteria to the stomach’s mucus lining thereby preventing bacterial stomach ulcers.
• Other benefits of Kale include supporting bone health, helps with blood clotting, promoting weight loss, help treat anaemia, and helps promote a healthy pregnancy.

Skin Benefits

• Kale reduces the risk of premature ageing. It has a lot of antioxidants and Vitamin A which help to repair skin tissue, prevent free radical cells damage to skin, reduce wrinkles and slow down the ageing process.
• The vitamin K it contains helps to reduce the dark circles under the eyes, fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, dark spots, and skin blemishes.
• Kale helps to reduce the swelling and scars that may form after medical procedures. It also promotes collagen production, which enhances the skin’s strength and improves the skin’s radiance.
• It also helps to keep the skin hydrated while cleaning out the pores and thus providing the skin with a healthier look.
• By detoxifying the body from within, it cleanses the skin, and thus makes it glow.

Hair Benefits

• Kale juice promotes hair elasticity. It prevents hair breakage and controls hair fall, and thus helps to increase the hair’s strength and maintain a thick mane.
• It helps to increase hair growth at a faster rate.
• Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids present in the plant can aid in keeping the hair and scalp moisturized and reduce dandruff.

Sources:  Health Line, Mind Body Green, WH Foods, Medical News Today

This article Did You Know? The Amazing Benefits of the Kale Plant appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a special type of beans, locally known as akidi in Igbo. It is relished as a native delicacy and contributes significantly to the meals in the South Eastern part of Nigeria.

Akidi is a small tiny bean seed with two common species – reddish-brown and black. Unlike the common beans, it takes a longer cooking time to become tender.  It is sometimes soaked in water after washing, prior to cooking, to save gas or kerosene. The water used in soaking it is often used to boil the akidi to retain the nutrients. It is cooked until it is soft and, depending on the recipe, it is sometimes mashed with a wooden spoon to form a smooth, thick paste when palm oil is added.

Akidi can be conveniently prepared and is an easy recipe. It has a natural and unique taste, hence is usually prepared with just pepper, salt and palm oil to retain the taste; thus, it doesn’t need onion or crayfish.

Pulse.ng

Nutritional Profile

Akidi is an excellent source of protein, essential vitamins and minerals, and starch. It provides a high amount of plant-based protein, in addition to many other essential nutrients, which help slow ageing naturally. It has a high concentration of vitamins B2, C, and A, and is high in such minerals as magnesium, iron, folate, and phosphorus. Also, it provides phytonutrients such as saponins, anthocyanins, kaempferol, and quercetin, all of which possess antioxidant properties.

Health Benefits

• Akidi aids in cancer prevention. This can be attributed to saponins which prevent cancer cells from multiplying and spreading throughout the body.
• Selenium, a very important mineral found in the plant, plays a role in liver enzyme function and helps detoxify some cancer-causing compounds in the body. It prevents inflammation and decreases tumour growth rates and is associated with a lowered risk of colorectal cancer.
• Folate plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair, thus preventing the formation of cancer cells from mutations in the DNA.
• Akidi can help manage diabetes. The balance of complex carbohydrates and protein which it contains provides a slow, steady source of glucose instead of the sudden surge that can occur after eating simple carbohydrates.

Sources: GFaze

Acho,  B. A., Eke, L. N., Wegwu, M.O., Osuoha, J. O. (2018). Nutritional Composition of Three Selected Traditional Diets: A Case Study of Ngwa People in Abia State, Nigeria, Food Science and Technology 6(1): 1-9, Department Biochemistry, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. (Available from  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321429295)

This article Origin of Nigerian Foods: Akidi (Cowpea) appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

The Northern part of Nigeria has a history for producing sumptuous and distinctive foods. One of these varieties is the ‘Masa’ or ‘Waina’. It is a popular food in the Northern part of Nigeria, especially with the Hausas.

It is a fermented puff batter of rice, millet, maize, or sorghum cooked in a pan which usually makes it have the oval or round shape. It’s made using short grain rice. This short grain species of rice is mostly produced and consumed in the Northern part of Nigeria and is referred to as Tuwo rice.

Frying the Masa. 1qfoodplatter.com

Masa Bauchi was the popular identity for every masa in the North, irrespective of the state or town it was made. The reason is simple: the origin of masa is the state. Traditionally, in Hausaland, masa is used occasionally in the ceremonial and festive periods, and more commonly during breakfast. It is also served commonly as breakfast, snacks or appetizers before the main meal.

As an indigenous food, it is one of the principal class of a variety of cereal-based foods and this came to be as the Hausas have the most meals made from cereals in Nigeria.

1qfoodplatter.com

The variety of rice used in making this dish is soaked for a few days and left to ferment to give the masa its original taste. It is also fried in a unique pan which makes it palatable.

It can be prepared in two ways. One with sugar and the other without Sugar. The one with sugar can be eaten without sauce; you can also take it with a drink. The one without sugar is usually taken with a sauce like the miyan taushe or groundnut soup.

Masa is prepared by blending raw rice, pearl millet, cowpea, groundnut, and other ingredients such as vegetable oil, sugar, salt, skim milk powder, starch, tamarind fruit and active dried baker’s yeast.

Undoubtedly, the food is a balanced delicacy and nourishing to the body.

Sources: Afrolems

Nkama,  I. (1993). Studies on improving the nutritional quality of masa-a traditional Nigerian fermented cereal-based food. A report to the United Nations University. Mysore, India: Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI), pp. 1-28.

This article Origin of Nigerian Foods: Masa (Waina) appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Nigeria, a country rich in cultural diversity and ethnic groups is also home to amazing cuisines. The Yorubas, predominantly found in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, are well-known for their love for food and culinary. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, along comes another yummy food from the Yorubas known as Ekuru.

Ekuru is a meal native to the Yoruba people in Nigeria. It is usually prepared with peeled black-eyed beans. Like moi-moi, it is prepared from peeled beans. It does not require pepper and other spices before steaming, and it is cooked in leaves or tin cans.

Making the ekuru. ounjealadun.com

Ekuru, also know as ofuloju or white moi-moi, is common amongst people of Kwara and Ondo states which is said to be the home of this special delicacy. The meal is a typical south-west Nigeria diet which is high in protein and vitamins.

Ekuru is simple to prepare and the beans are quite accessible which makes it affordable. It can be served in any kind of native ceremonies such as marriages, naming ceremonies amongst other indigenous celebrations.

Different variety of beans such as black-eyed beans and brown beans is used in making this dish which is usually peeled, then and grounded.

nationalmirroronline.net

This meal is one of the numerous ways of enjoying beans. Ekuru has a sour taste and is usually served with fried pepper stew and then mashed up with the pepper stew. Some people enjoy the meal with fermented maize pudding (Ogi/Eko/Akamu) or Okro Soup.

Sources: All Nigerian Recipes, Sisi Jemimah, My Active Kitchen

This article Origin of Nigerian Foods: Ekuru appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

Peculiarity and difference make up the distinctions amongst people. It is common to expect varieties when it comes to foods in Nigeria, considering the diverse ethnic groups in the country.

There are yet many Nigerian foods you don’t know. We’ll probably discuss one today- tuwo shinkafa!

The Northern part of Nigeria, predominantly occupied by Hausas and Fulanis, is said to be the home for grains. Hence, most of their meals are made from grains like rice, millet, sorghum and the like.

Tuwo Shinkafa is a northern Nigerian fufu that is prepared from mashed boiled rice. It is usually served with common northern soups like miyan taushe and miyan kuka, and it also goes well with other soups.

Because the rice will be mashed in order to make a mould, the type of rice used for the preparation of tuwo shinkafa is usually soft. The consistency is also dependent on the choice of the individual/family; some like it thick, others prefer it soft.

karkosnature.blogspot.com

Tuwo shinkafa is another way of enjoying rice and an alternative to eba or fufu made from cassava, wheat and the like. Try it sometime.

Sources: Wikivividly, Research Gate, Revolvy, Nigerian Food TV, Wikipedia, Cianna Michelle Blog,

This article Origin of Nigerian Foods: Tuwo Shinkafa appeared first on Connect Nigeria.

I walked into a restaurant and ordered peppered snails and was shocked at how much it was being sold. Interestingly, lovers of snail can enjoy this delicacy right in their homes. It is easy to prepare, and here’s how to.

Ingredients

• Medium to big sized snails
• Habanero/scotch bonnet peppers (to your taste)
• Tomatoes (optional)
• Onion
• Seasoning cube
• 1 cooking spoon vegetable oil
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 onion (for serving)

winnipegafricaneatery.com

How to Prepare

1. Break the shells of the snails and clean the snail slime.
2. Cut half of your onion into big chunks and the other half into tiny pieces.
3. Cut the peppers into tiny pieces.
4. If using tomatoes, remove the seeds from the tomatoes and cut them into thin slices.
5. Put the cleaned snails in a pot and pour water to cover them.
6. Add the seasoning cube and the chopped onion. Snails can easily get over-seasoned and taste salty so be careful with the seasoning.
7. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes and add more water when necessary.
8. In another pot, put the sliced tomatoes, pepper and onions and start cooking on medium heat. Stir from time to time so it does not burn and steam till they are soft.
9. Increase the heat to high and stir constantly till all the remaining liquid in the pot is absorbed to avoid losing any flavour from the stock. Set it aside.
10. When the water dries, add the vegetable oil and fry for about 5 minutes. Stir continuously so it does not stick to the pot.
11. Add a little salt, stir and add the cooked snail. Stir very well and add more salt if necessary.
12. Allow it to cool, then garnish with onions and pepper, and serve.

If you like peppered snails, you’ll love Gizzards and Dodo.

This article Food Recipes: Peppered Snails appeared first on Connect Nigeria.