Okpa!!! The Enugu Delicacy

Okpa di oku!!! No one spends 24hours in Enugu, the capital city of Enugu State and doesn’t hear this echo. It is a routine for citizens of Enugu to enjoy the delicacy Okpa, especially in the morning. A lot of women cook and sell this as a means of livelihood. It is not out of the ordinary to see young boys and girls at strategic junctions selling it in the city. Bus parks are also notorious for having the best versions of okpa. Not forgetting the afternoon supply at Kenyatta Junction towards Agbani road. UNN students will also testify to the wonders of okpa: saving life since time “imo river”. 9th Mile Corner in Ngwo near Enugu is well known for the special Okpa that you can trade your valued possession for.

So now that we know how much this is enjoyed, how is it made and what is it made from?

Okpa is made from Bambara Beans. It is a nutritious legume known as okpa in Igbo and as epa-roro in Yoruba and Kwaruru or Gurjiya in hausa. It comes in small pods that can be cracked to obtain the hard seed and it survives well in drought areas. The nuts have a naturally delicious flavour.

How is it made?

Ingredients: For 12 medium wraps , you will need:

• 3 cigar cups | 450g | 1lb Okpa flour
• 15 tablespoons red palm oil
• Salt (to taste)
• Habanero pepper (to taste)
• 1.2 litres lukewarm/tepid water
• A wrapper: this can be Dry banana/plantain leaves, “Santana” bags, Aluminum foil bags or Bowls.

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1. Sift the okpa flour into a bowl.
2. Add Salt and mix well.
3. Add the palm oil. Mix the two together until you have a nice yellow colour mixture, easily molded together.
4. Begin to add the lukewarm water to the okpa mix. Ensure to mix properly until there are no lumps left.
5. Add the habanero pepper to the mix.
6. Prepare to cook the okpa as you add some layering to the pot of boiling water. Ensure the water is brought to a boil before adding the okpa.
7. Now scoop the okpa into the wrapper and tie properly with a twine or string.
8. After tying the okpa in the wrappers properly, put into the pot of boiling water.
9. Cover the pot when you are done adding all the wraps and start cooking on medium to high heat.
10. Cook for at least one hour before checking. Okpa is done when it is solid all over.
11. You can add seasoning like Knorr cubes if you wish. Onion and crayfish dilutes the original taste of Okpa but you are free to add yours.

Now wrapping the okpa is not a very easy skill to learn so expect more tutorials on how to wrap okpa. For now let us focus on making our own delicacy.

Okpa flour can be gotten is almost all food item market across Nigeria. You can also purchase the seed and carry out the grinding and sieving yourself.

For anyone hoping to join our brother and sisters in Enugu to enjoy this delicacy, feel free to try out your cooking skills. Let me know how it turned out while I wait for my next trip to Enugu state.

Source: All Nigerian Recipe