Ukpo ogede is a sweet, savoury snack, made from ripe plantains.
It's not often that a plantain ripens in my home, as I eat them green and they are usually finished fast!! Plantains take a few days to ripen, well worth the wait for this special recipe. It's one of my favourite late lunch snacks.
When I want to present this dish for loved ones, I use semi- ripe plantains. I pour the mixture in a silicone mold. It cooks quite firm and can hold very nice shapes. The more ripe the plantain, the softer and sweeter the pudding.
Traditionally ukpo ogede is steamed in banana leaf which also works so well and looks equally interesting! Here is the steamed version of the pudding, straight out of the pan.
The leaf is waterproof, and the cooked pudding looks like this inside;
The great thing about steaming in banana leaf is you can pop the whole packet when cooked in the microwave with no other preparation if you want to heat it up before eating.
The great thing about Nigerian recipes is that they are so forgiving, flexible and endlessly adaptable. If you don't have access to a silicone mold or banana leaf, tin foil also works.
For the mixture, I use green plantain 'flour', scotch bonnet pepper and also add crayfish. Hing powder and green scallion tips can take the place of onion, if you are sensitive to onion. Hing comes from the resin of fennel plants and has a strong sulphur odor that fades to a pleasant flavour during cooking.
If you don't have access to plantain flour, regular flour also works! People in this world can be divided into two types...people who love dried crayfish and those that really don't!!
They have a strong odour and add a robust, unique taste. if you do love crayfish like me and want to include them, i recommend to grind well well. Otherwise there will be crunchy bits in the smooth pudding.
A scotch bonnet pepper is used to add strong heat and a unique flavour. Any kind of pepper you like would be fine. If you prefer a sweet pudding you could omit the pepper and crayfish all together.
If you decide to give this recipe a go, please share your thoughts, pictures and recipe tweaks. Good luck!
Notes before we get cooking!
FODMAP red, amber green rating reflects the total amount of Fructose (FTS), Lactose (L), Mannitol (M), Sorbitol (S), Galactooligosaccharide (GOS) and Oligos Fructans (FTA) in the TOTAL volume/weight of the ingredients used in the recipe.
This steamed pudding recipe makes approximately 4 flower shaped puddings (1 pictured approx 6.5cm wide by 2cm deep) or 6 banana leafs (1 pictured).
I'm a big fan of simple recipes that don't need fancy equipment. For this recipe it does help to have a blender, silicone mold, tin foil or banana leaf plus string for tying.
Ingredients:
Method
Step 1.
If using the hing powder, place it in a pan and fry it gently for 1-2 mins. Set aside.
Step 2.
Grind the crayfish (if using) into a very fine powder.
Step 3.
Peel the plantains and blend with all of the other ingredients. The blended mix should have the consistency of thick cake batter.
Step 3.
Pour the mixture into your chosen mold and cover with foil. If using banana leaf or foil, spoon 2 tablespoons in the centre of a 10 cm x 10 cm piece. Fold into a parcel. Secure the banana leaf parcel with string.
Step 4.
Fill a pan with water, approximately 10 cm deep and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a medium simmer.
Step 5.
Add the pudding, cover and cook for 10-12 mins.
Step 6.
Enjoy at your leisure!!
Disclaimer
I'm very passionate about the management of autoimmune conditions in a healthy way.
I speak with medical professionals, read journals, try and test new recipes to share with you and diligently undertake research online. That being said, as you know, each autoimmune disease, as well as any set of symptoms you may be experiencing are unique.
All information provided is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare provider to ensure the appropriateness of any information in relation to your own situation.
And finally, please comment and share so we as a community better cope with our conditions by through growth and learning.