Akidi and achicha ede is a traditional meal of black beans and steamed dried cocoyam. Akidi is black beans and achicha ede is dried cocoyam.
During the rainy season, harvested cocoyam is cooked for over 12 hours till it turns reddish-brown in color. The cooked cocoyam is then sliced and sun-dried or smoked to get rid of its water content.
Akidi (black beans) belongs to the family of Phaseolus vulgaris. With just 114 kilocalories per half cup, black beans contribute to bone health and heart health.
Achicha ede can be eaten on its own. But it is best enjoyed when combined with legumes like fio-fio (pigeon pea) or Akidi (Black beans).
What to love about akidi and achicha ede
This is a great recipe for Akidi and Achicha ede. The natural flavors of the individual components blend together very well to yield a truly satisfying and tasty meal. Eating akidi and achicha ede is an experience on its own. Make sure you have a glass of water by your side before you start eating. Because once you start you won’t stop. If you have tried any of my pigeon pea recipes like ayaraya oka, agbugbu or even pigeon peas and sweet potatoes, then you will love akidi and achicha ede.
To prepare akidi and achicha you will need:
- Akidi (Black beans): I always soak my legumes before cooking, because I have found out that my stomach tolerates the beans better when soaked. But feel free to cook the akidi as you like.
Cook akidi till it’s soft and tender. If you buy your beans from Nigerian markets please make sure you rinse your beans very well with enough water before cooking. When cooking pour in just enough water to cover the beans a little then add some salt.
- Achicha (Dried cocoyam): Dried cocoyam is very hard so, before cooking you have to break the large pieces into smaller bits. The size is completely up to you and the mouthfeel. Some people prefer to soak the achicha in water for a few hours or even overnight. I cook in large quantities so I prefer to take my achicha to the local market and dry mill it lightly. The millers pass it through their industrial mill once and the achicha is ground to my preference. The only disadvantage to this method is sometimes if you are not careful they will grind it too much and you will be left powdered achicha.
- Ukpaka: Very important ingredient. It elevates the dish
- Palmoil: This is also important. If you skimp on palm oil, the dish will be dry
- Small garden eggs: This is optional but I really enjoy the burst of slight bitterness that comes from these garden eggs. And they complete the dish for me as the vegetable component of the balanced diet
- Diced kpomo: Totally OPTIONAL! But I always enjoy ‘full option’ dishes.
- Red onions: Very important
- Salt and seasoning cubes: Add to your taste.
- I do not add crayfish to this dish because I truly enjoy the natural flavors of the black beans and the cocoyam. I find that crayfish can be overpowering. But you can add some if you like. Skip to let the natural flavors shine!
DIRECTIONS
Akidi na Achicha Ede
Recipe by PreciousCourse: Uncategorized
Servings
4servings
Prep time
30minutes
Cooking time
40minutes
Calories
300kcal
Total time
1hour
10minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup dried Akidi
- 1 cup broken Achicha Ede
- 1 cooking spoon Palm oil
- 1 large red onion sliced
- 3 pieces atarodo
- 1 cup Ugba/ Ukpaka
- Diced kpomo (optional)
- 1/2 cup tiny garden egg (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 1 Seasoning cube
DIRECTIONS
- Akidi
- Sort and remove debris from the black beans
- Rinse the beans several times to remove dust and dirt
- Add enough water to cover the beans and soak overnight. This step is optional, if you prefer to cook the beans immediately skip this step and proceed to step 5
- The next day rinse the soaked bean twice
- Achicha
- Rinse achicha with water twice to remove dust
- Put the washed achicha into a clean bowl and add enough water to cover it and leave it to soak for between 2 hours to overnight. This step is optional, if you want to cook the achicha immediately, then skip to step 4
- When the achicha has become soft, break them into smaller pieces, using your hands or a mortar.
- Akidi na Achicha
- Serve with a chilled drink and enjoy this wonder of nature!
Did you try this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and hashtag it #tasty9jarecipes.
