How to Prepare Tuwon Alabo (Cassava Swallow)

How to Prepare Tuwon Alabo (Cassava Swallow)

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.

Learn how to prepare Tuwon Alabo in a few steps!

Equipment for Making Tuwon Alabo

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Cooking potYesGet ItGet It
Food warmerYesGet ItGet It
SieveYesGet ItGet ItGet It
Wooden spatulaYesGet ItGet It
FetcherNo

Ingredients for Making Tuwon Alabo

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.

People Will Only Respect You If You Do These 13 Things

People Will Only Respect You If You Do These 13 Things

Nowadays, respect is something that has become scarce in our society. One tends to lose respect in the eyes of people around him/her without even realizing so. Well, some make deliberate efforts to lose respect in the eyes of people due to their nonchalant attitudes. And some, on the other hand, lose it because they fail to understand the core values and attitude that needs to be inculcated to help keep his/her respect in the sight of people. If you are by any chance worrying about how to get people to respect you, then worry no more as I have to your aid.

Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to. Respect is earned, not given.

Hussein Nishah

It is important to note that to have people respect you, you have to earn it and not demand it. Demanding for it only brings about more hatred on you by the people you are asking that from. Below are some of the ways or attributes that one needs to have to be respected by people around him/her and even far away.

13 Ways to Get People to Respect You

1. Be Yourself

Being oneself entails one to be in their most natural, sincere, comfortable, and ingenious state of mind. I will advise that you should always try to be yourself around people wherever you find yourself. As tempting as it may be to be what you are not because you do not want to feel inferior among people or in a crowd, do not.

The repercussion of not being yourself is that there will surely come a time that people will find out the real you no matter how good an actor you are. Of course, you know what that means to your integrity. However, if you have an attitude generally not acceptable in society or the people around you, quit it. For instance, theft lies, and the likes are habits that one shouldn’t be associated with.

So, if you want to be respected by people, always be yourself.

2. Be Independent

One of the fastest and surest ways of getting people to respect you is by being independent, most especially being financially independent. If you want to lose your respect in the eyes of people within a short period of time, be financially dependent.

Therefore, do not beg people to survive. Be able to fend for your needs and that of your family without asking anyone, if not, people, even your family will see you as a liability and do not even want to see you close to them or associate themselves with you.

This is where hard work comes into play. You can’t skip this hurdle if you are lazy. Find something to do to earn a living no matter how little it is and give in your all to it, then wait for God’s blessing as His blessings cover and surround everything.

3. Respect People Too

Respect is a two-way street, if you want to get it, you’ve got to give it.

R.G. Risch

If want to get people to respect you, respect them too – it is should be a two-way thing. Do not look down on anyone simply because you are wealthier than they are, educated, privileged, and the likes. Respect people regardless of their status. Everyone feels good and honoured when you show them respect. This will make them reciprocate that gesture by respecting you too.

4. Always Mind Your Business

Looking for how to get people to respect you? Do not meddle in peoples’ affairs. Stop interfering in matters that do not concern you. As such, do not gossip, backbite, blackmail, and eavesdrop on and about people. Also, asking people married couples who haven’t had a child the reason why they haven’t is not minding your business, so also asking someone why he/she is lean. These are matters that do not concern you. You will just end up opening their old wounds.

Remember, you have lots of things to worry or care about regarding yourself. Why don’t just focus on them and try to see ways you can be better as a person?

5. Care for Your Friends and Family

This is the unwavering and unconditional support you give to your friends and family. In other words, it means going above and beyond to care for them out of genuine concern for their health, happiness, and wellbeing and not out of obligation.

Always know that people have eyes and can see. They will surely respect you for that, not only them but people around who notice.

6. Empower People

Do you want people to respect you? It’s simple, just empower them. Empower them in any way that you can. Do not just concentrate on yourself, your family, and your friends. No. Go out there and seek people who need your help and make their lives better. Be the reason that made them not give up in life. Make their lives meaningful.

You don’t only empower people when you give them money, No. As a matter of fact, there are different ways to empower a person.

Take, for instance, you have the opportunity to help someone get a job, then make it happen without asking for a penny in return; you have the opportunity to smoosh someone to help another get assistance – say a promotion or get selected in a programme that means so much to them, then do it. This will surely earn you respect in the eyes of the people.

6. Acknowledge and Respect People’s Opinions and Feelings

Respect other people’s feelings. It might mean nothing to you, but it could mean everything to them.

Roy T. Bennett

We are all humans but different in a number of ways and of course, have different ways of seeing things. You may choose to see Tuwon Masara as a delicious delicacy for instance, but I see it as trash! Sometimes, we may agree on certain things or issues.

In other to earn the respect of people, learn to respect their opinion. Try and see things from their own perspective as that will help you acknowledge and respect whatever it is they have to say or do.

We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful.

Taylor Swift

7. You Want to Know How to Get People to Respect You? Dress Modestly

As the saying goes,

Dress the way you want to be addressed.

Modesty entails you dressing in a way that appeals to the majority of the people around you or the place you live in or where you are going. In the northern part of Nigeria for instance, modesty is something that is very common as people hardly dress half-naked. You can’t be respected if you live in environments like that and not dress in that way.

In addition, nobody takes you seriously if you are not modestly dressed. For instance, you can’t be having a hairstyle like the head of a rooster and expect people you meet for the first time to respect you. As a matter of fact, the first attribute they will associate you with is irresponsibility.

8. Say ‘No’ to Social Vices

Knowledge will give you power, but character will give you respect.

Bruce Lee

Social vices are bad traits or behaviours such as drug addiction, illicit sex, evil or immoral behaviours such as examination malpractice, murder, thuggery, and other criminal tendencies. Whatever status or respect you have, even if it is as high as a mountain, engaging in social vices can bring it down in no time.

If unfortunately, you happen to be a perpetrator of such acts, now is the right time for you to stop associating yourself with them; there is no better time than now. Nonetheless, if you haven’t, do not embrace it. You have clearly seen how some people have gone insane as a result of drug abuse, or got pregnant out of wedlock, or were expelled from school as a result of examination malpractice.

So, if you want to be respected by people, say no to social vices and do not perpetuate them in whatever form.

9. Be Educated Enough

There is something about an educated person that tends to attract people and gain respect from them without even trying. Of course, as an educated person, the way you talk, listen, reason, think, analyze, walk, and the likes is different your counterpart’s. All these positive attributes about you are what people are looking for to respect you.

On this note, I urge you to be educated. Get up and dust that lazy ass of yours and seek knowledge.

10. Be Trustworthy

Being trustworthy is when one is deserving of trust and confidence and is also dependable and reliable. As a matter of fact, this is something almost gone missing amongst many people nowadays as against what we have a few decades back.

Be someone who people can rely on when your testimony is needed anywhere, any time; be someone who when money or a valuable item is given to, will be available as it is without damage or misplacement or theft; also, be someone who people can entrust anything to and be rest assured.

All these trustworthy attributes should be seen in you to attract respect from people.

11. Settle Down

Settling down is one of the fastest ways of attracting respect from people, most especially in this part of the country that we are – Northern Nigeria. It is not surprising that it does because of the sense of responsibility that you have for your partner or kids. You tend to be a more responsible person compared to when you were single.

So if you want to attract respect from people, quickly tie the knot with someone – someone deserving though.

12. Always be Courteous

You are said to be courteous when your good manners show friendliness and concern for others. Be willing to hold the door for people entering a building with you; be willing to speak politely to a person below you in terms of social status and literacy; also, be willing to help the aged lift or move stuff even without being asked to – this is actually one of the signs you were raised by Nigerian parents.

In addition, courteous behaviour is a reminder of the value of good manners. So if you want to be respected by people, try the habit of courteousness.

13. Give In Your All to Make Money

I saved the best for the last – make money. How to get people to respect you? Try hard to get something doing to fetch you money legally. It could be hobbies that bring in good money or a side hustle while working full time. I know you are smiling now. People naturally have the proclivity to respect people who spend like they don’t care.

With money, you can buy respect I tell you. Furthermore, people will listen and obey you way more than they will for people in authority most especially when you have the giving hands. With money, you can even have your in-laws bow before you.

That’s the power of money!

Conclusion

Being respected is something every normal person wants to be attributed to. It gives you that sense of importance in the eyes of your friends, family, spouse, children, community, and society at large. On the other hand, lacking the respect attribute makes you less important in society.

How to get people to respect you is an easy goal if you attribute yourself to the above-mentioned ways.

If you find this article worthwhile, kindly leave a comment in the comments section.

The next step after getting respect is to make a good impression on people.

How to Prepare Miyan Kubewa (Okro Soup)

How to Prepare Miyan Kubewa (Okro Soup)

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.

How to Prepare Bitter Leaf Soup

How to Prepare Bitter Leaf Soup

Bitter leaf soup otherwise known as Miyan shuwaka in Hausa language is a delicacy in northern Nigeria. It is prepared with fresh bitter leaves (shuwaka) and some use the dried leaves, that’s after washing it till the bitterness reduces significantly, then spread under the sun to dry. However, it is not consumed by many. Only a few people like it which largely owes to its bitterness. In this article, I will be guiding you on how to make this delicious northern Nigerian cuisine. Let’s get right into it!

Equipment for Making Bitter Leaf Soup

Cooking pot

Bowl

Kitchen Knife

Scoop

Ingredients for Preparing Bitter Leaf Soup

You will need the following ingredients to prepare Bitter Leaf soup:

Fresh or dried bitter leaves

2 cooking spoons of palm oil

Fresh pepper, onions, and tomatoes (all grinded)

Seasoning cubes – maggi cubes,  thyme, curry, etc. (to desired taste)

Salt to taste

2 litres of water (more or less depending on the quantity)

1 cake of locust bean (daddawa)

Boiled or fried meat and/or fish (quantity and size to taste)

Procedure for Making Bitter Leaf Soup

STEP 1: Wash the bitter leaf properly (that’s if you are using fresh bitter leaf) with a small pitch of salt. Squeeze it between your palms till the bitterness has reduced significantly.

STEP 2: Over medium heat, place a pot of oil and pieces of onions in it and allow to fry for 2 minutes.

STEP 3: Add the ground onion, pepper, and tomatoes. Allow to fry for 5 minutes.

STEP 4: Add your clean water (a little bit higher than the quantity you actually need for the soup) to the cooking pot and ground locust beans. Add your meat to it too and allow to boil until the water reduces to the desired quantity.

STEP 5: Add the bitter leaf to the cooking pot with your seasoning cubes, spices, and salt to taste. Allow to cook for 10 minutes.

STEP 6: Stir it well and reduce the heat. Allow to cook for additional 3 minutes.

STEP 7: Turn off the cooker. Ta-Da! Your Miyan Shuwaka is ready!

TIPS:

You can add more water to the soup if you feel it is too thick. In addition, it is advisable to use warm water and not cold water.

Swallows That Best Goes With It

Miyan Shuwaka (Bitter Leaf Soup) is normally taken with Tuwon Semovita or Eba.

How to Serve Bitter Leaf Soup

Aside from Tuwon Semo and Eba, it could also be served with Tuwon Shinkafa, Tuwon Masara, Tuwon Alkama, Tuwon Alabo, and any other swallow of your choice. It tastes best when served hot.

Occasions to Best Serve Bitter Leaf Soup

This delicious northern Nigerian delicacy can be eaten as lunch or dinner. It is served in wedding ceremonies which is mostly common among the Yorubas.

How to Store Bitter Leaf Soup

It is best stored in a refrigerator as it will last for several days. In the absence of a refrigerator nonetheless, it only lasts for a day or two at most, or you will have to be warming it mornings and evenings to last a little bit longer.

Nutritional Value of Bitter Leaf Soup

Miyan Shuwaka (Bitter Leaf Soup) has numerous medicinal values and benefits to human health. The leaf exhibits antibacterial and antifungal properties that make it a good home remedy for several health issues such as diarrhea, high blood pressure, dysentery, and many others.

In addition, Miyan Shuwaka has the ability to improve a crucial female sex hormone that contributes to reproductive development and regulation.

Conclusion

Ensure you wash the leaves properly to reduce the bitterness. This is very important if you do not like bitter tastes else, it will be difficult to consume. More so, as you have seen, it is very easy to prepare without much stress. Now that you know how to prepare Miyan Shuwaka, I hope you will try it at home. Ensure you perfect it first before you choose to make it for occasions.

If you find this article helpful, please leave a comment in the comments section below.

You are always welcome to Northpad Nigeria for more local Northern Nigerian recipes.

How to Prepare Miyan Kuka (Baobab Soup)

How to Prepare Miyan Kuka (Baobab Soup)

Miyan Kuka also known as Baobab Soup, is a northern Nigerian soup, usually consumed by the Hausas. Other indigenes do consume it too but not as much as the Hausas do. It is made from the leaves of Baobab trees (Adansonia digitata). It is plucked fresh and then dried. When dry, it is then pounded until it is in powdered form. More so, a sieve is used to sieve out unnecessary particles. Don’t worry; you need not go through all that stress as we have it available in our marketplaces and at affordable prices.

Furthermore, I can arguably say that this is the most consumed soup in northern Nigeria and it is mostly consumed by the Hausas. This is because according to research, every 7 out of 10 Hausa households in this part of the country consume Miyan Kuka every day and at any time of the day.

This most consumed northern Nigerian cuisine is easy to prepare and tastes delicious when it’s properly made. This article seeks to teach you how to prepare Miyan Kuka. Let’s get into it.

Equipment for Making Miyan Kuka

Cooking pot

kitchen knife

Greater

Wooden spoon

Whisk

Ingredients Needed for the Preparation of Miyan Kuka

7 tablespoons of Kuka powder.

½ cup of palm oil.

Boiled meat and/or fish (quantity and size to taste) and broth.    

Ground or pounded locust beans (daddawa).

Ground onion and pepper. Tomato is optional.

Spices like maggi and salt (to taste).

2 cups of water.

Procedure for Preparing Miyan Kuka

STEP 1: Put a clean pot on low heat and pour in your palm oil.

STEP 2: Slice a little onion and put it into the pot. Then;

STEP 3: Allow to fry for 3 to 5 minutes under low heat until it turns brown.

STEP 4: Add in the grinded pepper, onions, and tomato (optional). Cook for 10 minutes.

STEP 5: Add in the grinded locust beans, the boiled meat and/or fish and its broth, and cups of water. Allow to cook for 15 minutes.

STEP 6: Add in your spices and stir well with a wooden spoon, allow to cook for 5 minutes.

STEP 7: Add the Kuka powder, spreading it little by little as you stir with a whisk (locally called maburgi) to ensure you get the desired mixture and avoid lumps. Then;

STEP 8: Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Ta-da! Your delicious Miyan Kuka is ready to be served.

Swallow That Goes Best With It

Traditionally, Miyan Kuka is mostly dished with Tuwon Masara. In addition, it can also go with Tuwon Shinkafa, Tuwon Alkama, Tuwon Semo, and Tuwon Dawa.

How to Serve Miyan Kuka

Serve Miyan Kuka with a swallow of your choice side by side; that’s how I prefer it. Well, some people prefer it in different dishes, but if you want to feel like an actual Hausa person, eat it from the same plate – the traditional way. Remember to serve hot; the taste is better.

Occasion to Serve

This kind of delicacy isn’t meant for any occasion specifically. It can be consumed as breakfast (dumame, my favourite), or for lunch and dinner. Do not… I repeat, do not serve Miyan Kuka on occasions like weddings. Your wedding will be tagged as the worst ever! It is basically for consumption at home.

How to Store

Its way of storage isn’t different from other local delicacies like Miyan Kubewa, Miyan Karkashi, and the likes. It should be stored in a refrigerator to avoid spoilage. Also, with constant electric power, it can last for a month in the refrigerator. However, in its absence, it only lasts for 3 days. For me, I like to make mine in small quantities to avoid wastage.

Nutritional Value of Miyan Kuka

Miyan Kuka is very rich in Vitamin C together with other essential nutrients like alpha and beta-carotene. This reduces the possibility of cancer development and poor bladder health. It is also of great importance to humans nutritionally as it is rich in medical elements or properties that help in treating common illnesses. More so, it is a great ailment for the treatment of antipyretics, common cold, and diaphoretic.

It becomes more nutritional when you consider the vegetables, spices, fish or meat, etc. in it.

Conclusion

Now that you have learned how to prepare Miyan Kuka, tell me when you will try this at home? Prepare it and make your Hausaman proud.

If you find this article helpful, please leave a comment in the comments section below. Thanks.

You are always welcome to Northpad Nigeria for more local Northern Nigerian delicacies.