Okpa (Boiled Bambara Bean Pudding)
Photo: Nzagha David Eze, CC BY-SA 4.0
Okpa is a Nigerian pudding of ground bambara beans, steamed in banana leaves until it sets firm. The flour is beaten with palm oil into a smooth batter, which gives the finished pudding its orange color and rich, earthy taste. Because the beans are so flavorful, it needs little seasoning, and the recipe skips crayfish and onions altogether. Each parcel is boiled in its wrapper, so it is easy to portion and carry.
Instructions
Wash the banana leaves well in water with a little salt. If you are using plastic bags instead, make sure they are food-safe and heat-safe.
Sift the okpa flour into a large bowl and mix in the crushed stock cubes and salt. Add the palm oil and stir hard with a wooden spoon until it is evenly worked through.
Add the lukewarm water gradually, stirring until the batter has no lumps. Then add enough water that the finished okpa will not set hard as stone.
Stir in the sliced habanero and taste the batter, adjusting the seasoning if it needs it.
Spoon some batter into each banana leaf or bag without overfilling, then tie it closed.
Bring a large pot of water to a full boil on the stove before you put in the parcels.
Boil the okpa for about 1 hour, then check one. It is done when it has set solid.
Serve the okpa with custard, oatmeal or pap.
Real ingredients, clean nutrition.
Plant-based protein, superfoods, and pantry staples made from whole ingredients. Recipes on their blog too.
Browse Sprout Living →Affiliate link · PicksByRecipe may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
