(ukazi /afang) salad

                                       

                              

(Ukazi/afang) is a leaf eaten among the eastern part of Nigeria, the calabars and some igbos. The leafs is very expensive in the market, in a restaurant, a plate of afang soup is also costly. There are many ways of preparing (ukazi /afang), it can be prepare as soup or salad. As for me, we  prepare raw (ukazi /afang) as salad and eat it like that. Like the one in the picture. I know you might be wondering how possible that is! But believe me, it's delicious! Below are the steps on how to prepare this greenish and yummy salad.

Ingredients

1. A handful of sliced (ukazi /afang) or any quantity of your choice
2. Potash ( akanwu)
3. Ugba
4. Fresh pepper (3 seeds)
5. Kpomo
6. Garden eggs ( optional)
7. Stock fish (optional)
8. Knorr cube (1)
9. Palm oil (one cooking spoon)
Water and salt to taste.

How to prepare.

1. Mash the potash with a back of spoon into powder form. Pure it inside an empty jam bottle or inside a bowl. Add enough water and set it aside.
2. Soak the (ukazi/afang) in a clean bowl. Leave it to settle down in case it has any sand.
3. Scrape the kpomo with a kitchen knife. Chop them into pieces and set aside
4. Wash the ugba with warm water
5. In a small morter, pound  together the fresh pepper and crayfish if you don't have grounded one.
6. Pure in the oil . By now the potash must have settled. It is settled when the bottom looks like ash and the top brown. The one you should use is the top one that looks like brown
7. Now, pure in a little of the potash. Give it a good stir until the oil changes to yellow and thick. Continue stirring until everything is thoroughly mixed.
8.  Add half of the knorr cube, chopped kpomo, stock fish if you are using any. Stir it until everything has combined together.
9. Squeeze out excess water from the (ukazi / afang). Add it to the mixed ingredients. Give it a good stir until everything has blended. Add a little salt if you need any.
10. You can add some sliced onion by the side like the one in the picture or enjoy it like that! With a chilled beverage.

Note: if you are using stock fish, boil it until it is soft. Make sure you are using the flesh not the bone. Add it the same to you added the kpomo. You can add in you chopped garden eggs or add it on top of the salad like the onion. Whichever way you choose is cool!