Tuwon Alabo, or cassava swallow, as people like to call it, is a local dish made from cassava flour (Alabo), which is produced by fermenting peeled cassava in water, sun-drying the fermented cassava, and milling it into powdered form. This flour comes from a root vegetable called cassava. It is also a great substitute for wheat flour and yam flour in a variety of recipes, including tuwon masara. This article seeks to teach you how to prepare Tuwon Alabo.
In addition, Tuwon Alabo is widely consumed and enjoyed by most Nigerians, irrespective of tribe. It is popularly known as Lafun or White Amala in the western part of Nigeria.
The ingredients needed to make this delicacy are just cassava flour and water
Procedure for Preparing Tuwon Alabo
STEP1: Sieve the cassava flour (Alabo).
STEP 2: Place the cooking pot over medium heat, add water to the pot, and allow it to boil.
STEP 3: Once the water is boiled, remove it from the heat and stir in the sieved alabo with a wooden spatula into the boiled water. Stir continuously until it gets thick and smooth.
STEP 4: Add a little hot water to it and place it back on fire. Leave to cook on medium heat for at least 2 minutes or more to give a smooth-looking tuwo.
STEP 5: Stir again until it becomes smooth and lump-free.
STEP 7: Use the plastic fetcher or the calabash fetcher and pack the tuwo into a food warmer.
STEP 8: Serve hot with any soup of choice.
How to Serve Tuwon Alabo
Tuwon Alabo should be accompanied with Spinach Soup, Okro Soup, Bitterleaf Soup, or any soup of choice. Plain tuwo is somewhat neutral in terms of taste and would taste bland. It would also go perfectly well with any beverage you choose to use.
Occasions Best to Serve Tuwon Alabo
Tuwon Alabo can be served on any occasion whatsoever, as long as the dish is being enjoyed by its consumers.
How to Store Tuwon Alabo
Tuwon Alabo can be stored in a refrigerator like any other dish, and it can last for a very long time, but to the detriment of its delicious taste.
Nutritional Benefits of Tuwon Alabo
Fermented foods offer certain health benefits, including anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-mutagenic activities. It reduces several health risks, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, GI disorders, and obesity.
Tuwon Alabo plays an immense role in the health and nutritional status of people, as cassava flour is said to be an option for those with high cholesterol or high blood pressure because it contains low sodium sugar, and fat.
More so, cassava flour (Alabo) contains resistant starches that have a variety of potential health benefits; this includes improved digestive and colon health, improved insulin sensitivity, and may also help with weight loss efforts.
Cassava is widely known for its richness in carbohydrates, which are the main source of energy for the body and contain important vitamins and minerals. Therefore, Cassava Flour Snack, or Tuwon Alabo, is very beneficial to the body.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve seen how easy it is to prepare Tuwon Alabo and its contribution to the body, I trust that I have been able to help someone here with dinner preparations.
If that person is you, please leave a comment in the comments section on how this piece has been helpful to you and the final outcome of your Tuwo.
Are you a tourist, a foodie, or simply a Nigerian who hasn’t been to the Northern part and plans to do so? Whatever the situation, allow me to be your food guide to some weirdly named finger-licking Northern cuisines. I will be sharing with you some of the popular foods from Northern Nigeria. Before then, let’s take a little detour and see how it all started.
Nigeria is blessed with over 200 ethnic groups and almost 500 languages across its six geopolitical zones. These zones have one thing in common: a love for rich, tasty, spicy, and aromatic food. More so, these foods are uniquely made with certain ingredients found in their various zones, and they have become the signature food of that particular region. Be it Amala and Ewedu from the South West, Pounded Yam and Egusi from the East, Black Soup from Edo, Afang Soup by the Efik and Ibibio, Banga Soup from the Urhobos, and the list goes on.
However, this article focuses on the Northern foods everyone must try at least once.
12 Popular Foods from Northern Nigeria You Must at Least Try Once
1. Tuwo (Swallow)
This is a thick pudding made from different types of grains and served with different soups. We have Tuwon Shinkafa (rice swallow),Tuwon Masara (maize swallow), and Tuwon Dawa (guinea corn swallow). The soups are Miyan Kuka (a soup made with dried baobab leaves turned into powder) and Miyan Kubewa (okra soup, either fresh or dry).
This is surely one of the most popular foods in Northern Nigeria.
2. Masa or Waina da Miyan Taushe (Rice Cake and Soup Made from Green Leaves)
This is made from rice and is usually served during breakfast with kunu (pap) by the side. Speaking of kunu, it is the next thing on this list.
3. Kunu (Pap)
More so, Kunu is one of the popular foods from Northern Nigeria. Just like Tuwo, it is made from different grains. We have Kunun Shinkafa (rice pap), Kunun Gyada (pap made with groundnut paste), Kunun Gero (millet pap), Kunun Masara (maize pap), Kunun Aya, and Kunun Tsamiya (pap made with tamarind).
4. Awara (Tofu)
This is made from soybeans, and it is fried in hot oil and eaten with yaji (ground chili pepper). It’s sometimes dipped in whisked eggs before being fried.
5. Shinkafa da Wake da Mai/GGaro/Garauarau Garau (Rice and Beans with Oil)
This is one of the popular foods in Northern Nigeria. The North isn’t the North without Shinkafa da Wake. It is accompanied by Yaji.
More so, it comes with garnishing too: lettuce, tomato, and cucumber by the side.
6. Danwake (Beans Dumplings)
Another food you should try is Danwake. This right here is my personal favorite. It is made from wheat flour with a small amount of dried baobab leaves powder.
It’s eaten with yaji and oil too, with the same garnishing as the Shinkafa da Wake and boiled egg.
7. Gurasa (Local Bread)
Gurasa is one of the popular foods from Northern Nigeria. This is made mainly from flour and water. Moreover, it is been prepared and consumed in different ways. We have the bandashe. Here, it is made with ground kuli-kuli (groundnut cake), cabbage, cucumber, tomato, and onion by the side.
It is served with the famous Suya too.
8. Fate (Porridge)
This is called gwate, pate, gote, tere, etc. It can be made from acha, rice, or maize, with smoked or dried fish and Aleho (green) or Shuwaka (bitter leaf).
9. Dambun Kaza (Chicken Floss), Dambun Nama (Meat Floss) and Dambun Shinkafa (Rice Grits)
The chicken or meat is shredded and cooked so deliciously into a floss. While the rice is broken into smaller pieces and cooked. This is one of the popular foods in Northern Nigeria.
10. Taliyar Hausa da Man Ja (Hausa Spaghetti with Palm Oil)
This is just boiled spaghetti, accompanied by Palm oil and yaji again
11. Wainar Fulawa (Local Pancake)
Unlike pancakes, Wainar Fulawa is been fried with palm oil and eaten with yaji.
12. Suya, Tsire or Balangu (Kebab)
I saved the best for the last. This right here is a good life. It can be made from beef, mutton, chicken, or goat meat, and served with yaji.
Conclusion
There are a lot of delicious foods in the North, I just made mention of a few. As you can see, yaji plays a vital role when serving these delicious meals. It is been sold on its own, made with rich ingredients. So, when you find yourself in the North, you know exactly what to order in terms of food.
If you find this article helpful, kindly leave a message in the comments section below.
