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!
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 a pot and add water in quantity needed together with grinded locust beans. Allow to cook for 25 minutes. Cook till the water reduces.
STEP 3: Add in the grinded pepper, onions, and your palm oil/vegetable oil. Allow simmering 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, 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, 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 in the okro powder in 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 kind 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.
Nutritional Value 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 Fatima Sani | Nov 28, 2021 | Local Delicacies
Miyan Shuwaka otherwise known as Bitter Leaf Soup 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!
Ingredients for Preparing Miyan Shuwaka
You will need the following ingredients to prepare Miyan Shuwaka (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 Miyan Shuwaka
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 grinded 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 grinded 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 of the cooker. Ta-Da! Your Miyan Shuwaka is ready!
NB: 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 Miyan Shuwaka
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 Miyan Shuwaka
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 Miyan Shuwaka
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 Miyan Shuwaka
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 to 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 on 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.
by Fatima Sani | Nov 20, 2021 | Local Delicacies
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 the 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.
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 its broth.
Grinded or pounded locust beans (daddawa).
Grinded 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.
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!
Ingredients for Making Tuwon Dawa
Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe are guinea corn and 3 litres 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 litres 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 and put 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.
Nutritional Value 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 12, 2021 | Local Delicacies
Tuwon Shinkafa is a northern Nigerian recipe that is prepared with the soft rice variety. You could also use the other varieties of rice to prepare it, but they won’t give you the best experience. Personally, this is my favourite of all the classes of tuwos that we have. Do you want to know how to prepare Tuwon Shinkafa? Stay with me.
This type of delicacy is consumed by almost every tribe in the north and so, it is not specifically related to the Hausa people. More so, it is very delicious as it goes with almost every Nigerian soup that you know.
Now that you know what Tuwon Shinkafa is, let’s go straight into how this Northern Nigerian cuisine is been prepared. Kindly allow me to be your guide. Not to worry, it isn’t difficult to prepare.
Ingredients for Preparing Tuwon Shinkafa
You will need the following ingredients to make Tuwon Shinkafa, depending on the quantity you intend to make:
3 cups of short-grain rice or local rice
2 litres of water (more or less)
Procedure for Making of Tuwon Shinkafa
STEP 1: Get a clean pot and put it on fire.
STEP 2: Add the desired quantity of water to it and allow it to boil. You could add a little more than the quantity you need just in case the need arises. Keep the excess water separately in a bowl before the next step.
STEP 3: Wash the short grain of rice and pour it inside the boiling water. Boil until it becomes very soft and sticky (if the rice isn’t done before the water dries up, you can add a little hot water to it, NOT cold water)
STEP 4: Use a wooding spoon to mash the soft rice thoroughly to form a soft dough. Then;
STEP 5: Wash your hand and mold the Tuwon Shinkafa into balls and put it inside a warmer.
STEP 6: Serve hot and enjoy your Tuwon Shinkafa.
How to Serve Tuwon Shinkafa
It is dished normally with Miyan Taushe, Miyan Alayyahu (Spinach Soup), and Egusi soup. Serving it with Egusi soup is my favourite. In addition, you could also serve it with other northern Nigerian soups such as Miyan Kuka, Miyan Wake, Miyan Kubewa (Okro soup), etc.
Occasions to Serve Best
This delicacy is best consumed on special occasions as festivals or eids or any get-together. In addition, it could also be consumed any day, any time – breakfast (as leftover “dumame”), lunch, dinner – just anytime is fine. It is best when served hot.
How to Store Tuwon Shinkafa
This delicacy can be stored for many days provided it is in the refrigerator and constantly powered with electricity. However, inadequate cooling could result to its spoilage.
Nutritional Value of Tuwon Shinkafa
Does Tuwon Shinkafa has rich nutritional value? Yes. Because of the rice, it contains carbohydrates needed to give us the energy to cope with the daily struggles of life.
Conclusion
If you follow the above procedures strictly, getting a perfectly and deliciously made Tuwon Shinkafa will be right in front of you for consumption. Now that you know how to prepare Tuwon Shinkafa, it’s high time you tried it.
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.
