Onunu is a popular local food consumed in the southern part of Nigeria. It’s quite standard among the
kalabari and
okrika people of River state, Nigeria. The meal is also called Temburu and it involves pounding a mix of yam, ripe plantains, and palm oil. The meal is served with fresh fish pepper soup.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized tuber of yam
- 2 large plantains ( ripe)
- 3 tablespoons of palm oil
- ½ teaspoon of salt and ground dry pepper to taste
Direction
- Wash your plantain back well, then cut the plantain into 3 parts without peeling it. Peel the yam and cut in big sizes. Set it on fire put water in the pot and allow it to boil till the yam and plantain get soft enough.
- Once the yam and plantain are soft enough, bring out your mortar and pestle clean them if need be. Begin with the yam put it in the mortar and pound it, add plantain to the yam in the mortar regularly and pound together.
Note: While pounding don’t forget to add a little amount of palm oil at first to get the right colour of the food. Continue in that order, a piece of yam, followed by a piece of plantain then palm oil. You will notice that the mash would become thick and sticky. Add yam to make it thicker or add little plantain to make it lighter, depending on how you’d want it. I will go for light because of plantain J
After pounding add a little salt and pepper to your desire, then pound thoroughly again. After that, roll it into a ball and place in a cooler and serve warm.
Featured image credit: 1Q food platter.com
