LounjeLounjePlan my week

Walnut & Ugba Mix

Also known as Walnut & Ugba Mix (Ukpaka Walnut Salad)

The combination of African walnut (Tetracarpidium conophorum, known as Asala in Yoruba and Ukpa in Igbo) with fermented ugba (ukpaka) oil bean is a beloved traditional Igbo snack and salad that has been eaten for generations across South-Eastern Nigeria. African walnuts are boiled in their shells until the bitter compounds are leached out and the flesh becomes tender and mildly nutty.

Walnut & Ugba Mix, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 20 to 25 African walnuts (Ukpa / Asala), in their shells
  • 2 big handfuls of ugba (fermented oil bean), sliced
  • 1 cooking spoon of palm oil
  • 1 small piece of potash (akanwu), dissolved in water and strained
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 2 Atarodo, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 seasoning cube, crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • A small handful of utazi leaves, finely sliced — optional

Method

  1. 01

    Boiling the Walnuts. Place the African walnuts (in their shells) in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, changing the water once halfway through cooking. This long boiling process removes the bitter tannins from the walnuts. The walnuts are ready when the shells can be cracked easily and the flesh inside is soft.

  2. 02

    Shelling the Walnuts. Allow the walnuts to cool slightly. Crack the shells and extract the walnut flesh. Discard the shells. The walnut flesh should be firm, slightly creamy-textured and very mildly nutty in flavour.

  3. 03

    Preparing the palm oil Dressing. In a bowl, combine the palm oil and strained potash solution. Stir vigorously until the oil turns bright yellow and emulsifies. Add ground crayfish, crushed seasoning cube, chopped Atarodo and salt. Stir to combine.

  4. 04

    Combining. Add the walnut flesh and ugba to the dressing bowl. Add the sliced onion. Toss everything together thoroughly so all pieces are evenly coated in the yellow palm oil dressing.

  5. 05

    Garnishing. Add sliced utazi leaves if using. Toss once more. Taste and adjust salt. Serve at room temperature in a bowl.

More starters & appetisers