by UmmuSalma Ahmad | Dec 6, 2021 | Northy Letter
It’s December, It’s Christmas, and it’s all celebration. Did I mention that winter is coming? Yeah, Jon Snow has been in touch lately so get your coats and socks because it is the season. Here is what I have for this week’s newsletter.
Monday
For Monday, I dove into You! You have not been taking care of yourself, but I will give you 14 Smart Ways to Invest in Yourself because I see you, and I care. You may not know this but everything I do is for you because I love you.
I see that I have your attention now, are you flirting with me? You obviously are because how couldn’t you when I am armed with the 5 Stunning Ways to Make a Good First Impression. I can’t just walk up to you dressed up anyhow. I have to prepare for you and this is what people don’t understand – that for you to catch a person’s attention, you have to do it well. And you are not making it easy for me.
I started a small business a month ago but I can’t for the life of me understand how I am always broke. I know that I have sold so many of my products but I can’t account for the money so I started looking for ways to solve this problem. Luckily for you and me, Umar Farouk Kabir gave us How Manage Cashflow For Your Business to Succeed.
Tuesday
Brought to you on Tuesday are 10 Interesting Facts about First Borns You Should Know. I don’t know about you but most of the comments I have heard that are being made about first children are not flattering at all. I don’t know why people fail to acknowledge the several great attributes they have. They are after all like our second parents. I know mine is.
Wednesday
Isn’t it nuts that nuts are part of the 8 Foods That Will Help Boost Your Memory? Pun fiercely intended. I used to remember everything I was told or taught but now I struggle to remember the smallest things. I won’t be deterred by this and neither should you, so read this with me.
Did you know that having a negative Rh Factor could endanger your baby? I did not know either. This is What You Need to Know about Rh-Factor and how to keep your little angel alive while it’s still in your tummy.
Thursday
It’s not death that bothers me, it’s living a painful life. And what’s more painful than people pointing fingers at you and acting like you carry a contagious disease? Read the story of Malama Sa’adatu and find out how HIV AIDS Didn’t Kill Her, The Stigma Did. It’s sad that despite all the awareness about this disease, people choose to stigmatize.
On our wedding agenda this week is How Kamu Tradition is Done in Hausa Land. I may not agree with some traditions but I can’t do away with fun – significant ones like this. Come and watch the Hausa culture flourish.
Friday
As much as the Hausa culture is interesting, the Yoruba people like gbedu more than we do, and where best to experience it if not Kwara State? These are the 12 Interesting Places to Visit Kwara State to get the best experience.
Saturday
One of my favorite sayings in Yoruba language is “ati lo ati de” which means “we have gone, we have come” it signifies a lack of progress in an activity. Don’t you just get tired of being served breakfast in relationships? If You See These 10 Signs in Your Relationship, You Are Dating Yourself. Spot the red flags and flee while you can.
Sunday
As usual, I’ll sign with my favorite thing – food. Learn How to Make Gullisuwa (Milk Balls) and How to Prepare Miyan Kubewa (Okro Soup). I’m guessing Okro soup learnt of my little rant against it last week.
Thanks for reading. I can’t wait to write to you next week. It has become the highlight of my week. Cheers!
by Fatima Sani | Dec 5, 2021 | Local Delicacies
Miyan Kubewa (Okro Soup) is a soup widely consumed in almost all parts of Nigeria, and not only by the Hausas in Northern Nigeria but by other indigenes as well. It is made with fresh okro (originally known as Okra in English). It will interest you to know that there are two (2) different recipes you could make from okro – Miyan Kubewa Danye (the fresh Okro Soup) and Miyan Kubewa Busashshe (the dried Okro Soup).
Okro soup is a draw soup, so if you are a fan of draw soups, here is another one for you. Well, for me, I prefer the one made from fresh okro to the dried ones. This article seeks to teach you how to prepare your delicious Miyan Kubewa (both fresh and dried). Stay with me!
Equipment for Making Miyan Kubewa
Cooking pot
Kitchen knife
Bowl
Wooden spoon
Whisk
How to Make Miyan Kubewa Danye (Fresh Okro Soup)
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make your Miyan Kubewa Danye.
Fresh okro.
1 cup of palm oil/vegetable oil.
3 spoons of locust beans (grinded daddawa).
Fresh pepper and onions.
Seasoning and spices.
Meat or fish.
A small piece of potash (kanwa).
2 cups water.
Procedure for Preparing Miyan Kubewa Danye
STEP 1: Cut your okro into small pieces using a knife and pound it until it has reached the desired smoothness. Alternatively, you could blend or grate it. When done, set it aside.
STEP 2: Over medium heat, put the pot and add water in the quantity needed together with grinded locust beans. Allow to cook for 25 minutes. Cook till the water reduces.
STEP 3: Add in the blended pepper and onions, and your palm oil/vegetable oil into the cooking pot and allow to simmer for 5 minutes
STEP 4: After all the soup ingredients are fried, add in your fish or meat. Stir a little bit and cover the pot.
STEP 5: Add in the pounded or grated okro and small potash (kanwa). Allow it to cook for 15 minutes. Ensure you are close by because it will pour or spill over as it cooks. So you will have to be stirring with a whisk or cooking spoon continuously.
STEP 6: Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and leave it to simmer for 2 minutes.
STEP 7: Off your cooker and your Miyan Kubewa Danye is done.
How to Make Miyan Kubewa Busashshe (Dried Okro Soup)
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make your Miyan Kubewa Busashshe (Dried Okro Soup).
Dried okro (powdered okro).
Palm oil.
3 spoons of locust beans (grinded or pounded daddawa).
Pepper and onions (blended or pounded).
Spices (maggi, salt, and ginger powder).
A small piece of potash (kanwa).
Chicken or fish.
2 cups of water.
Procedure for Preparing Miyan Kubewa Busashshe
STEP 1: Over low heat, place a pot containing your palm oil and add a few slices of onions. Allow frying for 3 minutes.
STEP 2: Add in the grinded pepper and onions, and allow it to fry for 4 minutes. Stir and put on low heat.
STEP 3: Add clean water to the cooking pot with your chicken or fish, and allow to cook for 35 minutes until the chicken or meat becomes soft and the water reduces to it half its quantity.
STEP 4: Add in the spices (maggi, salt, and ginger powder) and stir the soup with a wooden spoon. Allow boiling for 3 minutes.
STEP 5: Add the okro powder to the cooking pot little by little with a small piece of potash. Use a whisk or a cooking spoon to quickly mix it. This helps prevent lumps.
STEP 6: Cover the pot and leave it to simmer for 5 minutes. Your Miyan Kubewa is done.
Swallow that Best Goes With It
It best eaten with Tuwon Shinkafa and Tuwon Masara.
How to Serve Miyan Kubewa (Fresh Okro and Dried Okro)
It is best served with Tuwon Shinkafa (a meal prepared with rice – short-grained rice). And other kinds of tuwo could go with it as well like Tuwon Masara, Tuwon Semo, Tuwon Dawa, etc.
Occasions to Serve Miyan Kubewa (Fresh Okro and Dried Okro)
There isn’t any special occasion for this sweet delicacy, both the fresh and dried okro soup. It can be consumed as any one of the three (3) basic meals – breakfast (as dumame, popularly known as double fire in Nigeria), lunch, and dinner.
How to Store Okro Soup (Fresh and Dry)
It can be stored in the refrigerator and will last for many days. However, its taste reduces the longer it stays refrigerated. In the absence of a refrigerator, it can last for less than 24 days except when you warm it mornings and evenings, then it will last for a few days.
Health Benefits of Miyan Kubewa (Fresh and Dry)
Okra is low in calories but packed full of nutrients. The vitamin C in okra helps support healthy immune function. Okra is also rich in vitamin K, which helps your body clot blood. It is also good for diabetic patients.
For more information on the nutritional value of Okra (Okro Soup), visit Nourish.
Conclusion
Miyan Kubewa can be enjoyed with any kind of Tuwo that we have. It is tasty and easy to prepare. Now that you know how to prepare okro soup (Miyan Kubewa), tell me in the comments section when you will try this sumptuous northern Nigerian cuisine.
Caution: For all bearded guys, be extra careful while eating this meal if you don’t want your beards to be foody decorated.
If you find this article helpful, please leave a comment in the comments section below. Thank you.
You are always welcome to Northpad Nigeria for more local Northern Nigerian delicacies.
by Editorial Staff | Nov 29, 2021 | Northy Letter
We have finally come to the end of the month of November. The month lasted several years, who knew we would see the end of it? In this week’s letter from me to you, here is how the week went.
Monday
The day was exhausting but short and for people like you and me who intend to have the best of our short time on earth, it’s important that we take care of ourselves, Aisha Zakari crafted a 30 Day Challenge For Self Improvement and Development. I like the challenges and I think you will too, what do you say we do this together?
Tuesday
On Tuesday, I brought you the opportunity to remain healthy. You can’t remain healthy if you consume just anything that comes your way. Have you ever wondered just How Healthy is Your Diet?
Not just your diet, I also care about your fitness, after all the two go hand in hand so here are the 10 Best Workout Apps in 2021 because I am aware that going to the gym every day can be discouraging. You will burn fuel and time but with this, you have the gym at the tip of your fingers.
I’ve fixed your gym problem, can it get any better? Yes, so go ahead and check out Why You Should Use WhatsApp Business in 2022. If you don’t already use this then your business messages could get mixed up with personal messages, and the last thing I’d want is for you to miss an order.
Wednesday
Have you ever wondered why after a certain meal your breath smells funny? If you are like me and you always carry a mint or gum, but you’ve used it and your breath smells foul still, then you may need to read 10 Surprising Foods That Are Bad For Your Breath because honey, I don’t want you to meet your crush in that state. However, you need to know that that can’t be the worst thing that could happen. You could have a really bad time if you are asthmatic and you eat any of these Foods Every Asthma Patient Should Avoid.
Thursday
Thursday was the storytime. I have heard a thousand stories of myth concerning the Dutsen Amare, even that it was a bride and her cohort that turned into stone. I think it’s high time we dug into the Story of the Mysterious Dutsen Amare to find out the truth about it.
Friday
Friday was giving tips. I always wonder why some siblings live like cats and mice. They just don’t like each other a lot, and it makes you wonder if they are siblings at all and not rivals. Well, we have from Happiness Hassan – My Mom Used These 8 Ways to Manage Rivalry with My Siblings, and They Were Quite Effective.
Some people don’t believe in love and they prefer to fold their arms and wait for anything to just come to them but not Abdulganiyu Ibrahim. He takes us on a good ride through his journey and it’s all on I Went to Benue State Searching for Love and This Was What Happened. Do you have a story or you are too afraid to go searching for it? I’m not and I will tell you my story someday.
Ladies, look in the mirror, what do you see first? If it’s your forehead then I bet you we will get along just fine because I have for you 10 Gele Styles for Women with Wide Forehead. I am on your team and you can tell.
Saturday
Saturday gave us Why Parents Need to Understand Child Psychology. Connecting with your child is paramount. And while you are bonding, here are 10 Important Things You Should Teach Your Child because if your child can’t look at you and feel you are their home, then we have got a problem to fix right away.
Sunday
Now for the cherry on the top on Sunday, we brought to right on your doorstep How to Prepare Miyan Shuwaka (Bitter leaf soup) and How to Prepare Miyan Alayyahu (Spinach Soup). These are honestly elite soups, give okra a break.
While you await our newsletter for December, try to have as much fun as you can. It is after all the jingle season. Happy holidays!
by Fatima Sani | Nov 13, 2021 | Local Delicacies
Tuwon Dawa specifically, is the least consumed of all the types of Tuwos that we have (Tuwon Shinkafa, Tuwon Alkama, Tuwon Masara, Tuwon Semo, etc.). It is usually dark brown, kind like Yoruba’s most decorated swallow – Amala. It is easy to prepare, just like Tuwon Masara and the procedure for its preparation is somewhat the same. This article seeks to teach you how to prepare Tuwon Dawa (yadda ake Tuwon Dawa) without much stress.
Permit me to go straight into it!
How to Prepare Tuwon Dawa
Equipment
Cooking pot
Wooding spatula
Bowl
Warmer
Leather
Ingredients for Making Tuwon Dawa
Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe are:
Guinea corn Flour
3 liters of water.
Procedure for Making Tuwon Dawa
STEP 1: Grind the guinea corn into flour and sieve it well. Ensure fine texture
STEP 2: In a clean bowl of cold water, pour a little guinea flour into it. Stir it well until perfectly mixed and in a watery state. (This is known as the talge).
STEP 3: Over medium heat, get a clean pot containing 3 liters of water on the fire and allow it to boil.
STEP 4: Pour the mixture in Step 2 into the boiling water. Stir properly until thick like pap.
STEP 5: Allow boiling for 5 minutes.
STEP 6: Add the guinea corn flour into the pot little by little as you stir. Continue to stir until desired thickness is achieved.
STEP 7: Reduce the heat of your cooker and allow it to steam for 5 minutes.
STEP 8: Mold your Tuwon Dawa into balls, put them in leather, and put them in a warmer.
Soup that Best Goes with Tuwon Dawa
The common soup that is usually taken with it traditionally is Miyan Kuka. In addition, it could also be taken with Miyan Kubewa (Okra soup) – fresh or dried Okro, Miyan Taushe, Miyan Karkashi, Miyan Wake, etc.
How to Serve Tuwon Dawa
It is best served hot.
Occasions to Serve Tuwon Dawa Best
It is best consumed as lunch and dinner. Sometimes, the surplus can be used as breakfast (as dumame). Dumame is the Hausa name for double-fire.
But it’s not advisable to serve during festive periods like Eids. It is also not advisable to serve on wedding ceremonies, naming ceremonies, birthdays, etc.
How to Store Tuwon Dawa
By warming it in the morning and evening, it could last for 2 days. However, if kept in a refrigerator, it could last for more days, although, its tastes could be affected. So, preferably, make just enough for consumption and probably for not more than 2 days.
However, just like Tuwon Semo, Tuwon Dawa is not interesting when warming it the traditional way (i.e. putting the molds in a pot containing water and allowing it to boil). The best way to warm it is by using a microwave.
Health Benefits of Tuwon Dawa
As humans, we need the energy to take care of our daily life struggles. As such, we need this northern Nigerian delicacy as it contains a high amount of carbohydrates.
However, it is not advisable for diabetic patients as it contains a high amount of starch. So diabetics should keep off, please.
Conclusion
As you have seen, Tuwon Dawa is very easy to prepare. It could even be prepared by an amateur cook – like children learning to cook. In addition to its importance, it tastes nice. Nonetheless, one of its setbacks to many is that it is not good-looking at all, I must say.
Personally, I prefer to take it in the evening. Now tell me, when do you intend to make this for yourself or your family?
If you find this article helpful, please leave a comment in the comments section below. Thank you.
You are always welcome to Northpad Nigeria for more local Northern Nigerian delicacies.
by Fatima Sani | Oct 15, 2021 | Local Delicacies
Tuwon Masara specifically, is the most consumed of all the types of Tuwos that we have. On the other hand, Tuwon Dawa is the least consumed after Tuwon Alkama of all the classes of Tuwo that we have.
In this article, you will take the lead in showing you how to prepare Tuwon Masara (ya ake Tuwon Masara) without much stress. Let’s dive into it! First,
How to Make Tuwon Masara
Equipment
Cooking pot
Wooden spatula
Parker (mara)
Food flask (warmer)
Ingredients for Making Tuwon Masara
Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe are:
Ground maize (maize flour)
3 liters of water.
Procedure for Making Tuwon Masara
STEP 1: Grind the maize to flour and sieve it well. Ensure fine texture.
STEP 2: In a clean bowl of cold water, pour the maize flour into it. Stir it well until in a watery state. (This is known as the talge).
STEP 3: Get a clean pot containing 3 liters of water over medium heat. Allow it to boil.
STEP 4: Pour the mixture in step 2 into the boiling water and stir properly until thick like pap.
STEP 5: Allow boiling for 5 minutes. Then;
STEP 6: Add the maize flour into the pot little by little as you stir. Continue to stir until desired thickness is achieved.
STEP 7: Reduce the heat of your cooker and allow it to steam for 5 minutes.
STEP 8: Mold your Tuwon Masara into balls and put them in a warmer.
Soup that Goes with Tuwon Masara Best
The common soup that is usually taken with it traditionally is Miyan Kuka (Baobab Soup). In addition, it could also be taken with Miyan Kubewa (Okro soup) – fresh or dried Okro, Miyan Taushe, Miyan Karkashi, Miyan Wake.
How to Serve It
It is best served hot.
Occasions to Serve Tuwon Masara Best
It is best consumed as lunch and dinner. Sometimes, the surplus can be used as breakfast (as dumame). Dumame is the Hausa name for double-fire.
But it’s not advisable to serve during festive periods like Eids. It is also not advisable to serve on wedding ceremonies, naming ceremonies, birthdays, etc.
How to Store Tuwon Masara
By warming it mornings and evenings, it could last for 2 days. However, if kept in a refrigerator, it could last for more days, although, its tastes could be affected. So, preferably, make just enough for consumption and probably for not more than 2 days.
Health Benefits of Tuwon Masara
As humans, we need the energy to take care of our daily life struggles. As such, we need this most consumed northern Nigerian delicacy as it contains a great amount of carbohydrates.
However, it is not advisable for diabetic patients as it contains a high amount of starch. So diabetics should keep off, please.
Conclusion
As you have seen, Tuwon Masara is very easy to prepare. It could even be prepared by an amateur cook – like children learning to cook. In addition to its importance, it tastes nice.
Moreover, it is the sweetest of all the Tuwos when eaten for breakfast as double-fire (dumame). Personally, I prefer to take it in the morning as dumame than eat it fresh. Now tell me, when do you intend to make this for yourself or your family?
If you find this article helpful, please leave a comment in the comments section below. Thank you.
You are always welcome to northpad for more local northern Nigerian delicacies.
