Recipe for Dambun Kifi, the Delicacy from Kebbi State

Dambun kifi is the Hausa word for fish floss. This delicacy can be prepared with any type of fresh or frozen fish. It can be enjoyed on its own, served with jollof rice or used as filling for sandwich. If you visit Kebbi, you should try it. Dambun kifi has an aroma that beckons you to have a taste of this goody goody and I can assure you that the taste is simply divine.

Dambun kifi is quite easy to prepare. In preparing this meal, the head of the fish is not needed. Lovers of fish head, please take note; you can spice, fry or roast and enjoy the head(s) of fish later, but please omit that particular part of the fish when making this delicacy make bone no injure person.

Ingredients

Large fleshy fish

Vegetable oil

Water

Lemon

Onions

Scotch bonnet pepper

Garlic, ginger and curry powder

Seasoning cubes

Salt

How to Prepare

Remove the fish heads. Cut the body into smaller parts. Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl of lukewarm water and rinse the fish with it. Put in a pot and spice with chopped onions, ginger, curry powder, salt, seasoning cubes, garlic and pepper. Add a little water and cook the fish on medium heat till it’s tender. Strain out excess water after cooking, if need be. Allow the fish to cool and when it does, debone and crumble it.

Heat some oil in a frying pan. Add the fish. If you like, you can add more scotch bonnet pepper and onions to the fish. Stir. You would notice in the course of stir-frying that the bigger crumbs would be mashed into flosses. Fry the dambun kifi on low heat for at least forty five minutes to one hour. When you start stir-frying, you would notice that at first, the fish would be moist with oil. But after about twenty five to thirty minutes, the fish would start absorbing the oil. Thus, you would have to stir faster.

With time, the flosses get drier and start browning. The aroma would fill the kitchen. When the fish floss starts sticking to the pan, know that the oil has been completely absorbed by the fish. Stir fast for about two more minutes and turn off the heat to prevent the floss from burning. You can dish a bit of dambun kifi in a bowl for your enjoyment or you can serve it with your jollof rice.

Interestingly, dambun kifi must not necessarily be consumed at once. Some of it can be stored for later use. So, if you intend to store some of this delicacy for later use, do this once you turn off the heat. Place a net over a strainer and place the strainer on a container. Transfer the fish floss from the frying pan to the net. Close the net tightly and press a heavy object on it and leave it for a couple of hours. This will allow the oil in the floss to escape. Store in an air tight container.

Reference

Zubaida Isah Word Press

Featured Image Source: Cook Pad

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udevi-obiamaka-angela

Udevi, Obiamaka Angela holds a Master of Arts degree in History & International Studies. She's a freelance writer with a passion for food and healthy living. She can be contacted through her email address, obiudevi@yahoo.com

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