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NIGERIAN LOCAL DELICACY: Prepare lip-smacking Ofe Achara in quick, easy steps!

To get the best out of your Akpuruakpu Egusi, the moulded egusi must be solid by the time the soup is fully cooked so that the person enjoying the soup can bite into and chew them like meat.
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Ofe Achara

OFE Achara is a native delicacy of the Igbos in the Eastern part of Nigeria. It is traditionally prepared with Akpuruakpu Egusi (moulded egusi). 

For all my FitFam ladies, Ofe Achara is a rich source of amino acids, phosphorous, dietary fibre, magnesium, protein, iron, potassium, copper, selenium, vitamin B1, nicotinic acid, calcium, zinc, sodium, riboflavin, carotene, and other essential minerals. 

To get the best out of your Akpuruakpu Egusi, the moulded egusi must be solid by the time the soup is fully cooked so that the person enjoying the soup can bite into and chew them like meat.

300g egusi (melon) seeds                                                        
Cow meat
40g ósú
Sliced Okazi leaves
1 cup, broken pieces of Achara                                                                                                           
2 cooking spoons of red palm oil
2-3 stockfish 
1 dry catfish
Bonga fish
Habanero pepper (atarodo)
Yellow pepper (ose Nsukka)                                                                                                                                          
Crayfish                                                                                                                                                                   
Seasoning
Salt to taste

HOW TO PREPARE OFE ACHARA
1. Soak the stockfish and dry fish with cool or lukewarm water to soften. When soft, clean thoroughly and debone.
2. Put the meat in a pot; add the stockfish, pepper, seasoning cubes and salt.
3. Grind the egusi seeds and the ósú with a dry mill.
4. Grind the crayfish, also with a dry mill or spice grinder.
5. Peel the Achara by removing the coarse outer husk till you get to the tender part. Then break the tender part into 1 cm long pieces. Any part of the shoot that is not easily breakable should be discarded. Rinse the pieces of Achara and set them aside.
6.  Pound the habanero pepper with a mortar or grind with a hand
7. Cook the stockfish with the stock cubes (seasoning cubes) till soft and pour some of the stock into a bowl. 
8. Pour most of the ground egusi (about 70%) into a clean dry bowl.
9. Season the egusi with dry pepper, salt and onion. It’s important to season the egusi very well so that it will not taste bland when one bites into it. Then mould the egusi dough into flat discs, as big as a coin, and set aside.
10. Boil some water and throw the moulded egusi into the pot of boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
11. Set the pot of stockfish on the stove. It should still contain some stock from cooking the stockfish. If not, add the water from boiling the egusi balls.
12. Add the deboned dry fish, habanero pepper, and the remaining crayfish and bring them to a boil. Once it boils, take off the fish and set it aside.
13. Add the remaining ground egusi to the stock, stir and cook till you see some clear egusi oil come to the surface. This should take 15-20 minutes. Stir the soup often so it does not burn. Add the water you used in boiling the moulded egusi when necessary; then add palm oil and cook for 5 minutes.
14. Add the boiled Akpuruakpu Egusi, Achara, Okazi and the fish, and salt to taste.
15.   Serve with any swallow of your choice.

Enjoy!

SOURCE: Guardian