Cassava Fufu is regarded as the most traditional Nigerian fufu meal. There are powder versions of other Nigerian fufu meals which makes it easy for modern day ajebutters to prepare them but not this one. I fear that this meal is becoming extinct because 21st century babies do not want to prepare it any more.
How to Make Cassava Fufu [Video]
In Igboland, Cassava fufu is mostly eaten with the very traditional Nigerian soups for swallows such as Bitterleaf Soup and Ora Soup but like other Nigerian fufu meals, you can eat it with all other Nigerian soup except pepper soups.
Cassava fufu is known by many different names: Akpu (in Igbo), Loi Loi, Santana and Mr White.
It is extracted from cassava tubers (yuca).
Ingredients
The only ingredients you need to prepare Cassava Fufu meal is the raw cassava fufu and water. My grandma and others from her generation add unripe local banana (unere) which they boil and pound with the cassava fufu.
If the raw cassava fufu does not hold together when you try to make the balls, add cassava flour (akpu nkpo) to act as binder.
Pot liner
You need to line the pot before adding the balls of cassava fufu. This is so that the balls do not stick to the pot. Use the following as liners:
- Uma leaves or
- Banana leaves or
- Plastic bag
Utensils for pounding the fufu
- Mortar and Pestle or
- Stand Mixer or
- Food processor
Directions
Note: The cooking times depend on the quantity of akpu you are cooking. For this demonstration, I cooked about 1Kg (2.2lbs) of akpu.
- Set some water to boil. The water should be enough to cover the balls of akpu.
- Put the raw cassava fufu in a bowl and knead with your hands to mix the particles well. Add some water as you do so, a little at a time. This is to make it bind together when you make the balls. Make sure it is not too soft.
- When happy, make medium balls of the akpu and set aside. If the akpu is too weak to make balls, add some cassava flour and mix well. This is usually the case if you try to cook Cassava Fufu which you extracted from cassava tubers the same day.
- When the water boils, add the lining to cover the inside of the pot. Then add the cassava fufu balls.
- Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. When you see cracks on the balls, it means it is ready to be taken off for the first round of pounding.
- Turn off the heat. Transfer the balls of cassava fufu to a mortar and pound very well to crush all the lumps. If using a stand mixer, put it in the bowl and run it to mix the "dough". When done, the fufu will look white and smooth with no lumps.
- Mould them again and set aside. This time the moulds should be a bit flatter.
- Top up the original water and bring to a boil.
- Add the moulds of fufu and cook for another 5 minutes. We cook fufu twice because at the half-done stage, the lumps are easier to crush. If you try to cook it straight till done, it will be impossible to crush the lumps and the fufu will be too soft.
As you cook it the first time, you will notice that the outside becomes too soft while the inside maintains its original texture. If you continue cooking it without mixing both textures (pounding), the whole fufu will assume the outside soft/watery texture.
- Pound again and it's done. A well done cassava fufu has an off-white colour. If it is almost grey, it means it's overcooked.
Make the fufu more presentable:
This is better seen than read about so watch the video below. I will try to explain it in writing anyway:
- Wet a flat plate and put a portion of fufu on the plate.
- Make a fist with your hand and make a depression at the centre of the mound of fufu.
- Make the mound of fufu smooth by moving the edges to the centre of the mound till the edges have a circular shape.
- Turn the now circular mound of fufu upside down and place it on a dry clean plate.
You can also simply wrap portions of the Cassava fufu in thin plastic film as shown in the image above. Again, watch the video to see how I did it.
Serve with any Nigerian Soup except pepper soups. Bitterleaf Soup and Ora (Oha) Soup are my favourite soups for cassava fufu.
FAQs
In Nigeria, fufu or akpu is a popular food made from fresh or fermented cassava.
What does fufu do to your body? ›
Like many traditional West African ingredients and dishes, fufu has immense health benefits: Not only is it low in cholesterol, it is rich in fiber, potassium and resistant starch, which feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut and may help reduce inflammation and promote digestive health, and contains vitamin C, ...
How to make AKPU from scratch? ›
Cooking Instructions
- Harvest your raw cassava from your farm or buy get from you local markets.
- Peel it.
- Wash properly to be sparkling white.
- Soak with water and leave for about 3 to 4days to ferment.
- Then filter it with your sieve to get the cassava paste.when done, allow to settle for sometime.
| Word | akpụ |
| Definitions | Noun 小 1.cassava 2.cassava plant 3.cassava fufu |
| Related Terms | àbàchà èkòmekò ǹdùku ụtàrà òsìsì èberebe bànye akpụ |
| Word Stems | No word stems |
1 more rowPounded starch dish made from cassava and eaten with soups, originates from Ghana. Fufu (pounded yam or cassava) is a food dish which first came from West Africa, but is enjoyed by many people across the world. Its taste somewhat resembles that of mashed potatoes with butter.
Why don t Nigerians chew fufu? ›
Fufu is a traditional food of central and western Africa consisting of a starchy preparation compacted by hand into small balls. Fufu balls are usually swallowed without chewing to allow a sensation of stomach fullness throughout the day.
What happens when you eat fufu at night? ›
According to Dr. Osman, fufu takes a long time to digest and therefore needs to be consumed earlier before bedtime. Speaking to Daakyehene Ofosu Agyeman on TV XYZ a program dubbed My Lawyer My Counselor Dr. Osman added that it is best to eat light food before going to bed.
Is fufu good for diabetics? ›
Yes, a person with diabetes can eat fufu; however, it should be in moderation and best paired with high-quality proteins, fats, and vegetables. Fufu is a high-glycaemic that can influence blood sugar levels, so it's best to put moderation to it.
What are the disadvantages of cassava fufu? ›
Cassava that is prepared improperly can contain chemicals that are converted to cyanide in the body. This may cause cyanide poisoning and lead to certain paralysis conditions. This is especially true if eaten as part of a low-protein diet. In some people, eating cassava can cause an allergic reaction.
Is cassava fufu safe to eat? ›
Cassava is safe to eat after the roots have been soaked in water for about a week. The water degrades the cyanide found in the plant. Here, women soak cassava in the river. In the DRC, cassava is served as a doughy ball called fufu that accompanies stews and greens like cassava leaves and spinach.
Fufu becomes soft and sticky after you cook it. The water activates the starch, making it sticky. If you find it too sticky or too thick and hard to work with, just add a smidgin of water and continue mixing. The texture should be smooth and soft enough to easily shape it into a ball, and it will firm up once cooled.
What part of Nigeria is AKPU eaten? ›
Fufu and Akpu, a fermented wet paste from cassava is also widely consumed throughout the country especially in the southern zones.
How to make fufu with just flour and water? ›
Put the flour in a small saucepan, mix in half of the measured water and stir into a thick paste. Place the pan over a low heat and slowly add the rest of the water, stirring continuously and smoothing out any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon (the low heat will absorb the last of the moisture).
Is fufu similar to pap? ›
In West, East and areas of Central Africa the generic staple is FUFU -- a close relation to PAP. FUFU is called GHAAT in Eritrea and Ethiopia. FUFU is made rather arduously by pounding starchy root vegetables like cassava or yams in large vessels (much like a pestle and mortar).
What is the equivalent of fufu? ›
Yam flour (Amala Isu)
Yam can be consumed in different forms including baked, boiled, roasted fried, but can be dried and then convert into flour for amala isu, a great alternative to the Nigerian Fufu.
What African food is similar to fufu? ›
Nshima is very similar to ugali or posho of East Africa, sadza of Zimbabwe, pap of South Africa and fufu of West and Central Africa. A Kenyan dish made from maize flour (cornmeal) cooked with boiling water to a thick porridge dough-like consistency. In Luhya cuisine it is the most common staple starch.
Is fufu made from yucca? ›
Cassava fufu, said to originate in West Africa, is made from fermented, puréed cassava, or yucca root, pounded with water into a soft, sticky dough. It's typically served with various West African soups, such as sawa sawa with egusi, groundnut soup, or okra soup.
