Àmàlà is a staple swallow food native to the Yoruba ethnic group of Southwestern Nigeria. It is made of yam, cassava flour, or unripe plantain flour. Tubers of yams are peeled, sliced, cleaned, dried and then ground into flour. It is also called èlùbọ́. Yams are white in colour but turn brown when dried which gives àmàlà its colour. It is a popular side dish served with ewédú and gbẹ̀gìrì (black-eyed beans soup), but is also served with a variety of other ọbè(soups), such as ẹ̀fọ́, ilá, and ogbono.
RECIPESSWALLOW RECIPES
Amala
Table of Contents
What Is Amala Made Of?
Types Of Amala
Health Benefits Of Amala- What Does Amala Do To The Body?
Amala Food Calories
How To Make Amala
Soups For The Amala Dish
Amala is a traditional Nigerian meal eaten by the Yoruba ethnic group in the country’s western states. It’s manufactured using unripe plantain flour, yam flour, and/or cassava flour.
As a popular Nigerian dish, it’s difficult to go to any of the local bukkas in Lagos or Ibadan without seeing this dish on the menu.
The beautiful thing about this Yoruba special is that it is quick and easy to make, but if you aren’t careful, you could end up with lumps that make it unappealing to eat. If you struggle with making lump free, fluffy, smooth Amala, relax because with this recipe you’ll get it under control.
What Is Amala Made Of?
Yams are peeled, cut, washed, and dried before being ground into a flour known as èlùbo. Yams are white when fresh, but when dried, they turn brown. This is how àmàlà is made of and gets its color.
It is a West African dish consumed mostly by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, particularly in the state of Oyo. Ibadan people do not play with amala and ewedu, likewise akpu na ofe onuigbu for an Igbo man/
Types Of Amala
Yam flour (isu): This is the most popular àmàlà, and it is made from yam. Because of its high starch content, Dioscorea cayenensis also known as West African yam or white yam is the ideal yam specie for making amala. Yam grows throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Latin America, and is the common name for plants in the genus Dioscorea.
Dried yam is used to make it. When added to boiling water, it turns a black/brownish color. It is quite high in carbohydrates since yam is a major source of carbohydrate for many people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Cassava flour (láfún): This is made from cassava flour, is the second type. In Nigeria, dried cassava flour is known as “lafun.” Cassava is another prominent source of carbohydrate, with Nigeria as the world’s leading producer.
Cassava flour used to make amala is known as “Kokente” in Ghana. From cassava, Garri, a fermented and flaky meal popular among the Ijebu people, is another common cuisine used in eating soups.
Plantain flour (ogede): Elubo ogede is another form of this flour mix (which is usually lighter in color). Plantain flour’s low carbohydrate content makes it ideal for diabetics and those who require a low-carbohydrate diet.
Unripe plantains are peeled, dried, and grated into boiling water to make it. The outcome is usually light brownish.
Health Benefits Of Amala- What Does Amala Do To The Body?
The dietary fiber in Elubo (Yam flour) aids to reduce low-density lipoproteins and the pepper used in making the stew stops the build-up of cholesterol in the body
Also, some antioxidants found in ewedu aids in lowering cancer risk. Besides, Dietary Fiber in elubo can reduce the risk of having colon cancer. This happens by stopping the hazardous compounds in the food from affecting the colon mucosa.
Amala Food Calories
Amala flour has many nutritional values:
It is rich in iron and carbohydrate with less cholesterol, unlike Eba.
It is known for its low glycemic index which is good for diabetes patients.
It improves cardiovascular diseases and the fiber in this dish helps reduce low-density lipoproteins.
It has higher water content than most of the other swallow foods.
This means less Cholesterol, less starch. It is a better choice compares to the rest swallow foods.
How To Make Amala
This recipe is relatively difficult to make. It requires practice and technique. Nothing kills the swag of any amala faster than when there are lumps in tiny clusters all over the food.
However, when wielded with precision and just the right amount of muscle contraction, the amala comes out soft and evenly textured.
Here are the 4 simple steps to make it lump-free:
First, heat water on the fire and allow boiling.
After that, bring it down from the fire and gradually add your Abebi Yam Flour. Do not add the yam flour to the water while still on the fire so it doesn’t form lumps.
Then, turn the yam flour with a wooden Eba stick (omorogun) quickly so as not to form lumps.
Turn for a while, add little water and put it back on the fire to cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.
Finally, after 5 minutes, begin to turn the Àmàlà again, keep turning until a smooth paste is formed. The pulling of the dough into a smooth paste is the most difficult part of making Elubo.
Note that the only ingredient needed when making àmàlà is boiling water and one of the desired types of flour.
Soups For The Amala Dish
Amàlà goes well with a variety of soups:
Egusi: thickened melon seeds and leaf vegetables soup
Ewedu soup is made with cooked and grated Corchorus leaves and a tiny amount of egusi and/or locust beans.
Okro soup (okra soup)
Efo riro: a dish cooked with vegetables and a variety of meats, fish, and other ingredients
Ogbono soup is made with pulverized ogbono seeds and a garnish of stockfish and locust beans.
Gbegiri soup, made from dried beans
Bon appetit! This recipe is for black Amala the white one (Lafun) is made in a different way. So below is a step-by-step guide to making Amala perfect.
Amala
How to make amala lumpfree and fluffy in easy steps. With this recipe, you will get perfect and smooth Amala all the time.
INGREDIENTS
Flour (cassava or yam flour)
Water
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the quantity of water you want to use in a pot and let it heat to a boiling point.
Once the water is boiled, turn out the fire and gradually begin to add your flour.
Ensure you do not add the flour to the water when still on the fire, that way it does not form lumps.
Turn the flour with a wooden stick for a while, add little water and put it back on the fire to cook on low heat for about 5mins so as to make it cook properly.
You can use one of your clean finger to feel it while still on fire to be sure it is neither too soft nor to hard add some hot water.
Stir well until it very smooth.
Wrap with nylon and put it in a cooler , so as to keep it warm.
