BANKU AND OKRA STEW

Okra stew is one of the best accompaniments for the traditional meal Banku, however, okra stew can be eaten with a variety of other main food such as rice, gari, etc. If you have not tasted this then you are missing out a great deal. Today, I am going to show you a simple way of cooking this delicious food.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb stewing beef/ Chicken/ Goat meat (You can use any meat you want)

• beef stock cube (or chicken stock cube)

• Kahoro ( more of cow skin- leather)

• 4 kpakposhito peppers

• 4 tablespoons palm oil

• 2 large onions

• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced

• 1-inch piece ginger

• 4 medium vine tomatoes

• Scotch bonnet pepper (or chili powder), according to taste

• 2 fillets smoked mackerels (optional)

• 24 pods okra or two packets of already chopped okra

• 1 cup fermented corn (without cassava dough)

• salt

• cassava grated OR blended to cassava dough

• 1 cup fermented corn dough

METHODS

• BANKU

• Add water in a mixture of fermented corn and grated cassava in a large pot until it thickens.

• Under medium heat, put pot on the fire and stir the mixture continuously to avoid it forming lumps

• When the mixture hardens, add a small amount of water and stir until its soft

• Cover banku for 10 mins and stir again.

• Roll it into orange-sized balls and use rubber to wrap it tightly

  OKRA STEW

• Wash the meat and remove any fat from them.

• Cut the stewing beef/chicken, kahoro and any other meat with the exception of the fish into bite-sized chunks and place it into a pot. Chop ¾ of the first onion, ginger and add it to the beef. Reserve the other ¼ onion for the sauce.

• Add the kpakposhito to the pot, whole.

• Add a cube of beef or chicken stock seasoning and dry spices, top with water, and braise until tender. Cooking time depends on the type of stewing beef used. While the beef is cooking, prepare the other ingredients as follows.

• Finely chop the second whole onion. Place a large pot on the stove and heat up the palm oil. Fry the onions in the oil until they just begin to caramelize.

• Add the diced ginger to the pot and fry for about 1 minute, just before adding the tomatoes.

• Then add some powdered pepper.

• Chop the tomatoes into small chunks and place them into a blender or food processor. Add the ginger to the tomatoes.

• Add the remaining onion to the blender.

• Add the desired amount of scotch bonnet peppers.

• Pulse or liquidize the ingredients until smooth.

• Pour the mixture over the caramelized onions and allow the sauce to cook down and thicken. This should take 10 minutes, as oil begins to rise to the top. Stir regularly to prevent burning.

• Quarter the okra pods, then chop them into ¼-inch (5 mm) thin slices. Set aside.

• Break the smoked mackerel into chunks and add to the stew (optional). Add a little more water and allow to simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse into the sauce.

• Add the chopped okra into the stew and stir. A little more water or stock from the meat may be added to encourage the okra to cook well. The presence of tomatoes in the stew slows down the sliming process. Simmer for 10 minutes.

• If you prefer the sliminess then cook the chopped okra aside and blend some before pouring into the cooked sauce.

• Add the cooked beef along with the stock created during the braising process and stir to incorporate into the stew. Simmer for 5 minutes.

• Check for seasoning and add salt if required. The dish is now ready to be served alongside banku.