Hot Okpa! Hot Okpa!! Hot Okpa!!! If you’ve travelled to Enugu State by road, these shouts from Okpa sellers will be familiar.

9th Mile Corner in Ngwo near Enugu is well known for the special Okpa that you can trade your valued possession for (well, not you valued possession but good cash). The Okpa is so good that many people have tried but failed to replicate the unique taste in their own homes.

But the secret to making the best Okpa is to use as few ingredients as possible because okpa beans (Bambara Groundnut or Bambara Beans) have a natural delicious flavour. This flavour is ruined when people start adding lots of seasoning to the meal.

Ingredients for Okpa

  • For 12 medium wraps of Okpa, you will need:
  • 5 milk cups | 450g | 1lb Okpa flour
  • 15 tablespoons Nosak Famili palm oil
  • 4 seasoning cubes
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Habanero pepper (to taste)
  • 2 litres lukewarm/tepid water

Okpa wrappers

In addition to the wrappers below, you will also need a strong food safe string/twine for tying the wrappers.  Strings from rice bag can be used.

  • Dry banana/plantain leaves
  • Tough transparent plastic bags that can withstand high heat
  • Aluminium foil bags
  • Bowls (use as a last resort)

Notes about the ingredients

  • Okpa beans is known as Bambara groundnut or simply Bambara nut. There are different species of Okpa. It comes in small pods which you crack open to release the seeds. The seeds are very hard and only special heavy duty grinders found in Nigeria can easily turn these seeds into powder. So, this one is not a job for your kitchen dry mill. If you live outside Nigeria, you can buy Okpa flour on Amazon. You can also ask family or friends to send you Okpa flour from Nigeria. The customs of most countries will allow it because it is dry powder.
  • You need enough oil to give the okpa a popping yellow colour and to improve the taste.
  • Okpa does not need much seasoning so the ingredients listed above are all you need. Onions and crayfish ruin the natural delicious flavour of okpa.
  • The Okpa mix may seem watery but 2.5 litres of water is the quantity of water you need for the perfect Okpa texture. If you add much less water, you will end up with rocky Okpa.

Before you cook Okpa

  • Prepare the banana leaves by washing them in plenty of salt water. If you have a banana/plantain tree in your backyard, you need to wilt the leaves by passing them over a low flame, and then leave them to dry up before using them. You cannot wrap Okpa with fresh banana leaves.
  • Crush seasoning cubes.
  • Slice the habanero pepper into small pieces.
  • Prepare 2.5 litres of lukewarm water.

Cooking Directions

  • Sift the Okpa flour into a big enough bowl. Add salt and the crushed seasoning cubes. Mix very well.
  • Add the palm oil. Mix the palm oil and flour very well till the palm oil is well mixed into the flour. You will have a nice even yellow colour when done.
  • Pour a generous quantity of water in a big pot and set on the stove to boil.
  • Start adding the lukewarm water to the Okpa flour and mix till there are no lumps. You can also use a blender to get the smoothest mix. But that’s a lot of washing up to do later.
  • Add the sliced habanero pepper. Check for salt and add more if necessary and it’s ready to be scooped into the wrappers!
  • Now the water in the pot should be boiling. If not, wait for it to boil and add some spare wrappers or plastic bags before moving on to the next step. These wrappers and plastic bags act as a base for the Okpa wraps.
  • Stir the okpa mix very well and scoop into the leaf/plastic bag. Tie the ends tightly with your strings and place the wrapped okpa in the pot of boiling water. It is important that the Okpa is completely immersed in the hot water.
  • Cover the wraps with more leaves or plastic bags. Cover the pot and start cooking medium to high heat.
  • Cook for at least 1 hour before checking it. The Okpa is done when it is solid all over.

After peeling the wraps off, serve with custard or pap.

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