Ukpoka

I have another recipe for you guys. Within the last month or so, I was away on a well deserved trip. On one of those days, a friend prepared a meal called Ukpoka. I wasn’t totally chuffed about it; perhaps it was the name or something but I was not buying what she was selling. However, she went on and on about this meal and of course I decided to document the cooking process and try it out. People, it was beyond good! My friend is Delta Ibo and she says it's something eaten in that region.

So if you are feeling adventurous and you don’t mind something traditional, you may want to try this one before it's officially 'corn season' over. It is yummy believe me.

Ingredients

1. Fresh corn (it must be fresh. I cannot emphasize this enough. I'm talking fresh corn that you will press and see the milk/juice or whatever it's called)

2. Pepper (atarodo)

3. Salt

4. Seasoning of your choice

5. Crayfish (blended)

6. Palm oil

7. Onions

Process

• Peel your corn (we used about 8 to 10) and rinse them. Since this is fresh corn, simply run a sharp knife across the surface. You don’t have to spend eternity scoping the grains out row by row. My friend was quite emphatic on soft corn. She tossed aside the hard ones in my presence. I am not quite sure why hard corn is unsuitable for this meal. My reasoning is that it may alter the taste but I can't be sure since I have not made it with hard/old corn.

• Next place the grain in your blender. Add onions and the atarodo then blitz away. Now the trick is not to blend to a smooth consistency like you would do for moimoi or akara. Take a look at the picture below and see how ours turned out. It must be a bit rough to the touch.

• Get a pot on the fire and fill it midway with water

• Next add your blended crayfish, palm oil (about a spoonful), salt, pepper, seasoning (maggi or co) and stir until well incorporated.

• Next get those small clear polythene bags and double it. Place a spoonful of the blended corn in each bag and tie the end like you would do for moimoi. Simples!

• Now pop those babies into your boiling water and allow it cook. It should take about 30 minutes or so. Cover the lid and check your pot regularly to ensure the water does not dry up.

Complete meal when plated.

See how I cleaned the plate...

And that’s it. As you can see I ate the whole lot and went for a second helping. Note of warning - like beans, I hear there is a tendency to purge if you PIG on this meal so easy people. I didn’t experience any discomfort at all (I ate like 3 hot wraps) but I just thought to let that out. LOL

Personally the only thing I would do differently is add something like those big crayfish (whole not blended, pic included) or a piece of that smoked fish into the polythene bag before dropping in the water. I mentioned this to my friend but she said nothing gets added to it. Well that’s her own take, next time I'm adding something to mine. You make up your mind what you would do with yours.

Thanks for stopping by.

I love ukpo and I have really missed eating it.
My mom made hers the traditional way...mortar to pound her corn. No blender but if we insist, she would say don't make it smooth. No Crayfish, just pepper, oil salt and cube. Nne, i miss your food sweet mother.

I tried making ukpo here but the thing no gree hard/done. My paste was thick but maybe it is just the corn here. After about an hour of cooking, I threw it down the kitchen sink.

I love this meal especially when it is wrapped with leaves!

Never heard of this food. Looks what trying sha.

prissyluv:
Never heard of this food. Looks what trying sha.

The first day it was cooked was the first time I saw it too.

armyofone:
I love ukpo and I have really missed eating it.
My mom made hers the traditional way...mortar to pound her corn. No blender but if we insist, she would say don't make it smooth. No Crayfish, just pepper, oil salt and cube. Nne, i miss your food sweet mother.

I tried making ukpo here but the thing no gree hard/done. My paste was thick but maybe it is just the corn here. After about an hour of cooking, I threw it down the kitchen sink.

It could be. I never ate any 'normal' corn (like we had in Nigeria) while I was abroad; everything was soft and sweet. Anyway maybe you can persevere next time and taste it to see what it tastes like and where it would need tweaking.

It was really horrible seeing the time i put into trying to make it. It was corn season and I went for the fattest fresh corn. Lol, I will try next corn season. Also maybe use the package corn....which is already days old unlike the fresh from the farm that I used that looked like it retained water.

touchmeder:


It could be. I never ate any 'normal' corn (like we had in Nigeria) while I was abroad; everything was soft and sweet. Anyway maybe you can persevere next time and taste it to see what it tastes like and where it would need tweaking.

touchmeder:
Ingredients

1. Fresh corn (it must be fresh. I cannot emphasize this enough. I'm talking fresh corn that you will press and see the milk/juice or whatever it's called)

2. Pepper (atarodo)

3. Salt

4. Seasoning of your choice

5. Crayfish (blended)

6. Palm oil

7. Onions

Well done.
Yorubas call this abari, same ingredients..same process only that it is blended smooth like moimoi.

I had my doubts about this meal but after the first taste I fell in-love with it.Its delicious,easy to make and healthy.Remember not to over eat!

elele oka

Bloomingbud:


Well done.
Yorubas call this abari, same ingredients..same process only that it is blended smooth like moimoi.

Thats cool

I'm going to try making this for he first time this year, my mum is the only one that makes it.