I had thought that parties and big entertainment was a preserve in the south west of Nigeria. The south east, even my people the Efiks are not lagging behind on this also. Foods on the menu includes Ukang Ukom , Afia Efere and ponded yam, Afang soup and so on. On one of my visits to attend a wedding in Calabar, I noted a dish that was served by the caterer, Ukang Ukom . This is a simple dish made with unripe plantain and cow foot and some bits of cow head. The version I was used to was the palm oil one with bush meat. So this one I was seeing was new to me, but interesting.I also saw that this could be a good an idea as a Nigerian diabetic food in addition to serving as a regular meal. The limited ingredients used to create this palate delight was also fascinating .
On that visit to Calabar I captured some characteristic items from this part of Nigeria.
Recipe for Ukang Ukom( serves 4)
2 pieces unripe Plantain
8 pieces Cow leg parts ( previously cooked but not soft)
1 medium size Onion
2 cooking spoons Ground nut oil
Pepper to taste
Seasoning to taste
Salt to taste
1 cooking spoon sliced Effirin / Nchawun/ Ntong
Method
1, Peel, wash and cut the plantain into four pieces each
2, Add all ingredients into a pot and bring to boil and cook for about 1 hr until plantain is very soft
3, Add more water as you cook if the plantain is not soft enough. When plantain is cooked continue stirring the pottage to get a thick sauce.
4, Add the shredded Ntong last , cook for 2 minutes and serve hot
Cooking tip: you can use semi ripe plantain if you do not like the unripe. Cow head part can also be used for this dish.
cool recipe, dis is one of my favourite but here in akwa ibom I think most people refer 2 it as “ubobok ukom” meaning plantain porridge or simply “ukom” meaning plantain. Also how I get mine 2 get thick while cooking without wait for so long is 2 scrape the surface of the plantain right after peeling it, what you
get from the scraping helps you
2 have a thick sauce. U can either use “ntong” as u mentione here or utasi leaf or fluted pumpkin leaf.
Hello Kimberly. Thank you for the comment and on the tip of scraping the plantain pulp into the sauce to help quick thickening. The Efiks call this dish Ukang Ukom . It can also be made with palm oil, Utazi etc.
Nice meal. Can be richer with the addition of dried minced prawns.
Hello Tamunotonye,
You are right you can add dried prawn. I was surprised myself when I finished cooking this dish and realized how easily tasty it can be with just the few ingredients I used.
nice one ma, please give us recipe for making spring roll and how to prepare it.
Hello Queen. I will try to get the spring roll recipe.
Hello Aunty IQ, i want to find out what is the efik/ibibio name for mint leave? Is is Ntong?
Hello Rosemary. Yes it is Ntong.
In the absence of cow leg i use dry fish or titus,yummy!!!
Hello Rosemary , I guess that is what cooking is all about, varying the ingredients. The use of vegetable oil is the twist in this dish.
I should have responded here but I posted a question on FB. I love your meal presentation s. Such a useful tool.
@ IQ, that ws a vry healthy meal u presented tday. Is it okay if I cut d plantain to cubes nd probably add locust bean, ponmon & dry fish to d menu?
Hello Funmi, the thing about this dish is the dominance of one flavour which is the effirin. By the time you use dry fish and locust beans it changes the profile of taste. But sure you can cut the plantain into cubes.
I tried it this weekend, mehn my husband really likes it. Thnx 1Qfoodplatt for dz recipe. Am so loving it.
Tried mine with bush meat yummy, @ 1Q how do I make white soup, my husband likes it but I can’t prepare it.
Hello Maryjane,
Please check the recipe for Afia Efere . It’s the same as white soup.