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Even though we’re out here experiencing heavy rain, there’s a global consensus that we need summer bodies. But haven’t you spent most of the year eating like a thief? It’s okay, me too. These seven foods will take away that guilt of eating at 2 a.m. and allow us to pretend we’re on the summer body journey too.
Cabbage fufu
You know that 2 a.m. eba has to stop right? But cabbage fufu is a compromise. It looks like swallow, smells like swallow, and most importantly, has much lower calories than swallow, so you eat your way through without thinking too much about your waistline.
Oil-free okra soup
Something has to go with cabbage fufu, and it can’t involve soups cooked with lots of palm oil like banga or egusi. And okra is one soup you can cook without the extra calories from oil.
Now hold on a second. Do you know many calories are in chicken skins alone? Almost 100 for just one tiny piece and you haven’t even gotten into the meat. Think of watermelon barbeque as a distant cousin of Tofu that’s meant to mimic the texture and smell of meat.
Pepper soup
It’s basically water, spice and some boiled meat or fish. No oil is needed and no frying is involved, so pepper soup is great, tasty addition in pretending you’re part of the fitfam crew.
Carrot pancake
It’s pancakes made from vegetables. So technically, it’s healthy. You need to confuse the calories.
It sounds crazy but is it really? Rather than eating hungry man-size noodles and adding one chopped carrot to deceive yourself, cucumber noodles are clearly the healthier version.
Popcorn
One cup of popcorn without salt, sugar or sweeteners is like 31 calories, so a bucket of it won’t kill you.
Ever since I started trying out Indian curries in 2022, I don’t know how I’d lived my life on only Sunday rice and stew all those years.
Indian curries are sauces made with traditional Indian spices like garam masala, a combination of spices like dried pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and a mix of other dried herbs. And it can be cooked with meat, tofu or vegetables.
Now, I want to show you the light. On a ₦10k budget, Here’s a list of spicy Indian curries to try the next time you visit an Asian-styled restaurant like Indigo in Lagos or one with Indian options on the menu like Cilantro in Lagos or Abuja..
If you haven’t tried any curry before, go with this guy. It’s the curry that initiated me into ditching tomato stew. Kadai lamb is a tomato-based curry, so it’s like eating a version of stew that isn’t as spicy. But it’s just as tasty. There was coriander, chopped tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. And that tender lamb shredded into the sauce.
Once you’ve tasted lamb in a sauce for the first time, there’s no turning back. After kadai lamb curry, Lamb rogan josh was the next curry I tried. It has more pepper and onions as the base and is a lot creamier because it has yoghurt in it. I don’t love the creamy coconut taste too much and that’s the main ingredient, but the spicy lamb meat more than makes up for that.
Chicken chettinad is really spicy and packed with ginger and garlic flavours. And like the rogan josh, coconut is a main ingredient in the sauce. Some restaurants like Cilantro serve it with chopped tomatoes, onions and bell peppers.
Unlike the thickness of chettinad and rogan josh, with the goan fish curry, you get a much lighter coconut sauce. It goes without saying that to love curry, you have to be okay with the sweet and spicy taste of coconut and tomato-based sauce. But the goan fish curry also has some sour notes to it. Maybe it’s just me, or it could be the vinegar or the tamarind paste.
I have a love-hate relationship with this curry because it’s strictly vegetables. But it’s nice if you’re a cheese fan because it’s a mix of potato dumplings and fried paneer (Indian cheese). Malai Kofta can either be cashew or coconut tomato sauce, but coconut is the most commonly used. Also, note that it’s not as spicy.
I’m not a fan of mushrooms, but this is like malai kofta without cheese or potatoes. It’s vegetarian-friendly and includes green peas, dried fenugreek leaves and coconut milk mixed in an onion and tomato sauce.
This was my least favourite curry to try because I’m not a seafood fan. I’m really just a meat type of girl. But if you’re a seafood lover, kadai prawn curry is just like kadai lamb with more chilli peppers.
I’m begging Nigerian youths to try something outside the box of bread or indomie and egg. I know it’s easier and faster (and cheaper) to just eat certain meals in particular ways sometimes, but once in a while, at least do something different with your food. Do you know all the many different things you can do with eggs? Let me tell you.
Noodles and egg frittata
Indomie and egg but make it fancy. If you have Indomie in your house, get up and make this meal now now. I promise you’ll come back and thank me later.
Egg and corned beef was something I discovered one day when I was looking for what to eat and I was tired of sunny side up and scrambled eggs. At that time, I just thought to add the most random thing I saw in the store: corned beef. I didn’t know it was an actual thing until I found recipes online. There’s a recipe I found that I really like.
A very popular meal that needs to be made more often. Instead of eating plantain and egg separately, why not combine them? I wish plenty of dollars upon the person that thought of this. There are two ways you can make it. You can either cook it on the stove or bake it in the oven. They both slap.
The Nigerian woman in me had to add a pasta recipe. It even tastes too good for it not to be here. It’s a very simple meal you can cook with ingredients you already have in your house.
Release yourself from the shackles of the regular bread and eggs and try something new. I like to deceive myself with this recipe by saying I’m eating healthy because it’s a “salad”.
Wait first. Before you roll your eyes and say that I’ve come again with another strange recipe, you should know that a lot of smoothies do have eggs inside. Adding eggs to themadds much needed protein to your diet. You can make this smoothie with any fruit of your choice.
This is a cocktail that is mixed by adding egg whites to gin. I promise you it doesn’t taste as weird as it sounds. When making it, if you don’t have the simple syrup, just use honey instead.
Another great cocktail made from gin and egg whites. The major difference between this one and the cocktail above is the fact that you’re adding bitters.
Instead of chicken shawarma, try this instead. If you want to make it a little healthier, don’t add mayonnaise, or replace mayo with Greek yoghurt. I try this every once in a while when I have shawarma bread in my kitchen.
The only type of salad I truly like to eat. I’ve eaten this boiled pasta salad a gazillion times and I’m still not tired of it. If you’re not trying any other thing on this list, try this one.
I know I said release yourself from the shackles of bread and egg but this one is different. This is the ultimate sandwich because there’s fried egg above and below the bread. Check out the recipe and see what I’m talking about.
Abacha — the food, not the Nigerian sugar daddy — is a popular Eastern Nigerian dish also known as “African Salad”.
Typically made with the African oil bean seeds (ugba), abacha is one delicacy that can make an Igbo man willingly surrender his belongings — it’s that good. Not everyone is sold on this dish, though, as some argue that it’s overrated.
Image source:Meal Planner kitch’n
We spoke to seven Nigerians, and here’s what they think:
“It tastes much better than it looks”
— Ayomide, 23
I have to admit that, for the longest time, whenever I saw people eating abacha, I thought it was rubbish. There’s just this way it used to look to me.
In January 2022, I eventually decided to try it when my mum bought some for her friends. I was pleasantly surprised. I absolutely love the unique taste, especially when mixed with the sauce. I now actively look for abacha sellers to buy from every day.
I had my first taste of abacha in 2010. I was a first-year student at the college of health technology in Yaba, and I noticed that many of my female colleagues loved buying it with stew, ponmo and all the orisirisi added.
I decided to try it one day, and while it wasn’t exactly bad, it tasted more like a regular salad — nothing special. I’ve had it once since then, and I honestly think it’s kinda overrated.
“It tasted like soap”
— Esther, 21
I don’t like it at all. I first had abacha in Lagos in 2020. Before then, I always saw it around, and I’d wonder what it tasted like.
On the day I finally had the opportunity to eat it, I was with a friend, and she had called on a hawker to purchase some. She asked if I wanted a plate, but I decided to try some from her portion first, before buying what I wouldn’t be able to eat.
When we got home, she dished it out, and I was eager to try it. The very first spoon that went into my mouth came back out with the same speed with which it entered. It tasted like it had soap in it. It might have been the oil, but I’ve never tried to eat it again. It’s overrated, abeg.
“Abacha is definitely not overrated”
— Eniola, 26
The first time I had it was around 2007 when it was prepared by my Yoruba father. Before then, I never knew something like that existed.
I prepare it now myself, and even though it isn’t exactly the same as what my dad used to make (he’s late now), I still find the taste to be really sumptuous and unique. The taste also varies, depending on how you make it, but it’s a hit every single time.
“I hated it until I got to Enugu”
— Amaka*, 25
As an Igbo girl, I always used to get teased when I said I didn’t like abacha. It’s like people expected me to love it just because I’m Igbo.
We live in Lagos and have never made it at home because my dad doesn’t like it so my first taste was from a roadside seller. It was so bad and I swore never to let it pass through my lips again.
But in 2019, I went for NYSC in Enugu and I was bullied into having abacha again, and I realised that I’d been deceived in Lagos. Enugu abacha is fire and I honestly feel sorry for people eating the rubbish they sell in Lagos.
I’d lived in the North my whole life and only moved to Lagos in 2018. Lagos is a whole new experience, and as a foodie, I was eager to try new dishes.
A friend introduced me to abacha and from how hype she was about it, I was expecting something spectacular. The first time I saw it, I was a bit taken aback — it doesn’t look that great and the smell is somehow. Yet, I found the courage to try it; while I loved the several protein obstacles, I’m not a huge fan of abacha itself.
It’s not bad but I don’t love it.
“It takes some getting used to”
— Hannah*, 28
I like abacha on some days. Other days, I don’t even want to see it. Eating it for the first time, it attacks you with an entirely new texture, and it’s like your brain has to override the “what the hell is this?” alert.
Abacha isn’t bad, but I don’t think it’s that great, really. I guess it depends a lot on who makes it.
*Some names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.
Not everywhere you eat in Nigeria is a restaurant. Sometimes, they’re bukas, and some other times, they’re fast food or quick service restaurants. How can you know the difference?
People might think bukas are for the trenches, but they just don’t know ball. The ideal buka is somewhat overpriced. Apparently, there’s a foreign restaurant called Karen’s Diner where the staff are rude but the food is great — which just sounds like cultural appropriation to me. If I enter a buka, and the waiters aren’t eyeing me like I stole something from them, I won’t eat there. Also, they can’t have change. If they have change, something’s wrong.
P.S.: Watch them when they’re making amala. If their sweat isn’t dripping into the pot as they turn the food, don’t eat it.
These ones don’t necessarily need an indoor space. They just have a table outside with coolers on food on top. They must sell spaghetti, it has to be in disposable plates, and the food vendors must push the spaghetti and plantain off their forks with their thumbs. But their white rice with stew and beans? My God.
Are you poor but would still like to take the babe you’re seeing somewhere to eat? Eateries are for you. The only thing they know how to make is meat pie. Their chicken is dry and it’s obvious that the food they display has had to be warmed every day for the past five days.
Canteens are typically tied to organisations like schools and local governments. Their food is bad, but the vibes when everyone is eating together? Amazing.
These ones have the widest spectrum. Generally, the food is good. Very nice nice 🌚. Some of them end up being eateries because of competition. Also, depending on their location, they can be pretty overpriced. Like every single restaurant on Lagos Island.
The dictionary definition of bistro is “a small, inexpensive restaurant”. But Nigerian bistros? All they need is one strange architectural design and boom, the common man can’t eat there again. May God have mercy on them all.
On a night I wanted to drown my sorrows from capitalism with a cocktail, and honey was the closest thing I had to a sweetener. I searched for a few recipes and found a couple of easy ones you need to get on today.
Bee’s Knees
Source: Cookie + Kate
Since our copy editor sneaks gin into his cups of tea at the slightest inconvenience, this one should be his favourite. All you need is dry gin, lemon and honey. But honey isn’t great with cold cocktails, so you need to turn the honey into a syrup by mixing it with equal amounts of water and heating it until it’s caramelised. If you hate gin, you can substitute it with vodka.
Recipe:
Find honey. Add two tablespoons of water and honey to a pot or a bowl to microwave. Heat it up until you get a consistency like syrup and set aside.
Get a lemon and grate some of the peels into the honey and water mix. Then squeeze some of the juice in as well.
Now to the cocktail: Fill a glass with ice and pour the honey syrup, lemon and gin. Next, stir things up.
Drink up!
Pro tip: Try pineapple-flavoured vodka with honey syrup and apple juice for an extra wave of sweetness.
I recommend this for tea lovers. It’s a hot cocktail with bourbon, so why not? Fallen leaf is a twist on a hot toddy (spirit, sugar and hot water) — find the recipe here. For this cocktail, you need ginger-flavoured liquor, or you can proceed to juice ginger into vodka and then add cinnamon, lime, nutmeg and honey.
Recipe:
Add 12 tablespoons of bourbon (or more) to a mug. Then add a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Boil some water and add your choice of cinnamon tea. You can also just toss in a cinnamon stick to water and boil it as your tea.
Now pour the honey syrup into the cinnamon tea and bourbon mix.
Garnish with grated nutmeg and a lemon wheel. Cheers!
This is for the coffee crack heads. And it only needs four ingredients: tonic water, gin, cold-brew coffee and honey syrup. The honeyed coffee gin and tonic says 28.3 grams (1 oz) of gin, but I eye-balled it and let the ancestors guide my decision. Enjoy it in any glass or mug of your choice.
Source: Emma Janzen, Imbibe
Recipe:
Make your coffee, toss in some ice and stir. Add in lemon juice, honey syrup and tonic water.
This one is for the plain Janes like myself. Gin is a crowd favourite when it comes to honey syrup, and this recipe includes apple flavour for a kick. You can throw in some blended grapes, lemon and bay leaves, but feel free to tweak the recipe or keep it as simple as possible.
Recipe:
Add gin to a glass.
Get a pot, add in apple juice, a cinnamon stick, honey, grapes or berries and bring to a simmer.
Strain the mix into a jar and pour it into your cup of gin. Add in some lemon juice and bay leaf for cover.
Specially crafted for a drunk night out with the girls on a yacht in Dubai. But I’ll take an evening sipping this cocktail while I pretend I’m the main character of a Tyler Perry movie.
It needs five main ingredients: tequila, honey syrup, lemon juice, lemon peels and Angostura Bitters, a concentrate of herbs, to temper the sweetness. Or you can use agbo; let me know how it goes.
Recipe:
Follow the bee’s knee recipe, but instead of gin or bourbon, use tequila as your base. Now add in Angostura Bitters, a lemon peel and ice.
This is where you’ll see lactose-intolerant people gather. This cocktail recipe is a mix of scotch, milk, cream and honey. I also think this is for bougie drunks because which Nigerian drinks scotch?
Recipe:
Get some alcohol of your choice as a base. Add in cold milk, some yoghurt or cream, orange slices and a cinnamon stick.
Mix the drink, leave it in the fridge to chill and enjoy once it’s chilled.
Beer isn’t for everyone and that’s okay, but can you really say no to a beer cocktail? With honey? C’mon, live a little. This is for the alcohol drinkers that need to be a little bit daring. And it’s the easiest recipe.
Recipe:
Add honey, lemon juice, beer and some mint into a cup. Next, stir the mix until the honey is dissolved.
Plant-based meat products could replace a significant amount of conventionally processed meat on Africa’s menu, feeding the growth of an alternative and sustainable protein products market, according to a report. Plant-based diets are seen as crucial in mitigating climate change and boosting food security and nutrition on the continent.
by Seth Onyango, bird story agency
Changing taste preferences among Africa’s big consumers is driving plant-based diets mainstream in Africa as diners become more conscious about their health and climate.
US-based North Mountain Consulting Group and South Africa’s Credence Institute study show Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt have the continent’s biggest appetite for vegan meat.
It further found that Gen Z and millennial age groups (18-39 years) have developed the biggest taste for PBM in the three African states.
“Although not currently familiar or widely adopted, consumers in Kenya and Nigeria were quite open to trying and purchasing PBM (about three quarters of Kenyans and Nigerians were highly likely to try and buy)” states the report in part.
“Consumers in Egypt were also quite open to PBM (about half were highly likely to try and buy), but less so in comparison to Kenya and Nigeria. Health and food security were the most important motivations and were statistically significant predictors of purchase intention across all countries.”
Plant-based meats are made from plants and manufactured to feel, taste, and appear like real meat.
PBMs are deemed healthier than regular meat as they’re lower in saturated fat and calories, with ingredients including coconut oil, vegetable protein extract, and beet juice.
They are also rich in micronutrients, such as zinc, iron, and calcium making them an obvious choice for health-conscious diners.
In Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt, the most important reason for eating meat was lifestyle habits.
“In all three countries, the most important reasons for eating meat included: part of their usual meals or recipes, important for their health, and taste. Culture and religion were the least important reasons for our panels in Kenya and Nigeria, but were slightly more relevant in Egypt,” the Credence Institute report found.
Beef, chicken, and fish were the most regularly consumed types of meat in all countries.
According to Markets and Markets, the PBM market was valued at US$4.3 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach US$8.3 billion by 2025, recording a CAGR of 14.0 per cent, in terms of value.
It is witnessing significant growth due to the growing vegan and flexitarian population across the world, raising awareness about the health benefits offered by plant-based meat over animal meat, and growth in government initiatives along with significant investments are driving the global market.
“The sales of plant-based meat can be increased by adopting marketing strategies such as diversification and segmentation. The objective is to create more demand among consumers, such as health-conscious consumers, vegetarians, flexitarians, and vegans. Along with this, it is crucial to position the product at the right place through the right sales channel,” the M&M report states.
Amid rapid population growth in Africa, PBM is expected to help cut beef-related emissions on the continent and boost its nutritional outcomes.
“This expected growth in meat consumption will pose significant challenges for the local food economies in Africa,” the Credence Institute assesses.
“Food insecurity in Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria is still high, with 27.8 per cent, 68.5 per cent, and 57.7 per cent of the population respectively experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity in the period between 2018 and 2020.”
Studies show the meat and dairy industries create 7.1 gigatons of greenhouse gases annually or about 14.5 per cent of total man-made emissions.
Conversely, plant-based meat emits 30–90 per cent less greenhouse gas than conventional meat (kg-CO2-eq/kg-meat) according to Good Food Institute.
Worldwide, animal agriculture contributes more to climate change than exhaust emissions from the entire transportation sector. It is important to note, however, that traditional African meals are already vegan top being yam and vegetables, Ghanaian beans and plantains, South African pap and chakalaka, and the Kenyan chapati, ugali and vegetable stew.
These everyday African meals contain no meat, dairy, or eggs. Similarly, many traditional Ethiopian dishes are vegan.
Sometimes, I think of semo as that high-maintenance babe that is really not all that because why do the lumps in semo always actively try to disgrace you at the worst times?
Like, why are you giving your haters more ammunition to slander you?
Anyway, this guide will help you finally conquer the evil spirit behind lumpy semo and make your Nigerian mother proud.
Boil some water, and then add a pinch of salt and a tiny drop of vegetable oil to it. I’m not sure what this does, but this is how I was taught, so stay with me.
Next, slowly add the semolina or semovita — whichever you prefer. Apparently, semolina is the OG in this story — while stirring simultaneously until the mixture thickens and becomes consistent. This is where your village people will start their agenda but ensure they don’t succeed.
Next, use the turning stick to make small air pockets in the pot, add a little water, and then let it cook on low heat for about two minutes. This will help ensure the semo is evenly cooked.
Now proceed to beat stir any surviving lumps out of the semo, and dish it out with any soup of choice.
Or you can just throw the semo, pot and turning stick in the trash where they belong.
Okra may be a meal best served as soup to you, but it’s really a vegetable you can do so much more with. I’ve taken the time to help you find 11 okra recipes to get into.
Send us pictures when you attempt any of them!
Okra Ice Cream
Credit: Brooke Allen, Edible Tulsa
Y’all are out here eating ice cream and plantain, so don’t act shocked. A 2014 study showed that the okra can help retain the texture of ice cream as it freezes and unfreezes. And although not everyone is trying it out, there are people making it work like this guy.
Recipe
Steal a bowl of ice cream because things are tough on Buhari’s streets. I’d say go with vanilla.
Get to chopping up that okra and mix mix mix.
Fried okra and pepper
Photo credit: tsunad, gourmandize
It’s like eating fried potato and pepper sauce. Once the okra is fried, there’s no sliminess to deal with. And to make it even tastier, put in an egg, mix with corn meal, throw in a dash of pepper and salt, and fry until golden brown.
Yes, there’s nothing that doesn’t exist under the sun. But I don’t need to say too much about this dish. Buy noodles and follow this Asian recipe I found on Youtube.
I can’t forget our K-drama fans on this okra journey. We already showed you how to make cucumber kimchi, so switch things out with okra, and you have a whole new dish.
For the fitfam crew. Okra is a vegetable, so paired with onions, scotch bonnets and sausages on the side, you have a breakfast for champions. You’re welcome.
Okra pie
Look, hear me out. We’re already finding strange things like macaroni in meat pies, so why not okra? And for the bougie people, what’s the difference between this and shepherd’s pie?
Plaintain chips, potato chips, okra chips, they’re all chips.
Okra oatmeal
Photo credit: humbleherbivore, feed feed
Since oatmeal has a slightly slimy feel already, the okra fits right in. If you’re not much of a sweet tooth, or maybe you’re a hardened criminal on the loose, you may find this appealing.
Okra and plantain pottage
I’m amazed at the things people think of because, why? But if you’re a plantain lover that needs this in life, here’s a video to jump on.
Okra pancakes
Photo credit: Louisiana cookin
Out of everything I found, this pancake recipe hurt me the most.
For getting to the end of this article, I’ll grant you one wish:
Which of the okra recipes would you like Zikoko writers to try? Tell me here, and I’ll make it happen.
These days, going out to eat at a restaurant costs an arm and a leg. Small pasta and drinks with your friends, and you’re already hearing ₦30k. Let’s help you save money with this super tasty creamy pasta recipe.
Ingredients you need for 3 – 4 servings:
1 pack of pasta
2 sachets of tomato paste
Blended peppers
2 bulbs of onion: 1 to be blended with the pepper and the other to be sliced
Chicken breast
Sausages (optional)
Unsalted butter
Liquid milk
2-3 tablespoons of chilli pepper
2-3 tablespoons of Cameroon pepper
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of ginger powder
Salt and seasoning cubes
A small handful of chopped basil leaves (totally optional)
Preparation:
First things first, parboil your spaghetti for 10 minutes and set it aside. Try not to eat raw strands of spaghetti while you’re at it.
Boil your chicken breast with spices — salt, seasoning cubes, curry, garlic, ginger, thyme and peppers. Make sure it’s well seasoned so the taste can get inside the bits of chicken.
Steam your blended peppers and onions till the water in it is drier than those Instagram comedians’ skits.
While your pepper steams, make the cream. First, melt the butter in a saucepan and add your liquid milk. Mix in a food processor or blender until the cream gets thick and frothy. Set it aside.
Now that your peppers are steamed, add oil and fry with onions and tomato paste.
After a few minutes, add your sausages and chicken breasts to cook with the mix.
By now, you should’ve noticed the thickness of the sauce, but it’s about to be thicker, like cold akamu. Add the chicken stock and taste.
If you like what you taste, add your cream and stir. Taste and spice as the ancestors lead you.
After a few minutes, add your parboiled spaghetti and allow to cook. Body go tell you when e don done.
(source: recipe rebel)
Now, think twice before you go and spend thousands of naira in a restaurant without parking space because there’s creamy pasta at home.
