A Plate That Takes Me Home #306

Plenty of delicious and yummy meals like pounded yam with ẹ̀gúsí, ẹ̀kuru, Ofada rice with ayamase, àkàrà, àmàlà with ẹ̀wẹ̀dú and gbẹ̀gìrì, and all sorts of rich soups that we eat over here, and those soups can make any ordinary day feel like a celebration that's what I think about when it comes to Yorùbá food. But looking through all those foods, if I have to put my roots on one plate, it will definitely be àmàlà, ẹ̀wẹ̀dú, gbẹ̀gìrì, and well-seasoned soft meat.

In preparation of the àmàlà, I put the quantity of water I need in a pot and allow it to boil; then I gradually add the yam flour while I stir until it becomes thickened and lump-free. I keep turning it until it becomes very smooth, stretchy, and very soft.

And for the ewedu, after adding the locust beans (iru), salt, and a little quantity of edible potash into a pot and allowing it to boil for some minutes and for the potash to dissolve, I add my washed jute leaves and allow them to soften. Then I mash or blend it all.

And for the gbegiri, this takes a bit of time and patience. I start with washed and peeled beans, then cook until they soften. I blend it into a very smooth texture, then I pour it into a separate pot. This time, I cook with pepper, seasoning, red palm oil, and salt, just a little.
Then for the meat, it's been washed and put in a pot with all the necessary seasoning, pepper, onions, salt, Maggi, and spices, and then I allow it to cook until it becomes tender. The broth from the cooked meat is used to prepare the stew while the meat is being fried or left like that.

People have different ways they serve this after it's been done, but the way I like it served is putting the amala on a plate, then I put the green ewedu and gbegiri on it with the cooked pepper. Then I also garnish it with the meats. I always step it down with a glass of cold water or a bottle of chilled drinks because they goes with it for me, especially after the pepper has done its work.

Anytime I eat this food and come across it, it always reminds me of my roots because amala, ewedu, and gbegiri are bigger than just foods. It also takes me back to my culture, home, family table, voices of family people, the aromatic smell that fills the air coming from the kitchen, and the joy that comes with eating it. Though I sometimes eat it with spoon, but there's this cloud 9 feeling that comes with eating it with my washed hands while I mix all the sauces together as I use my thumb and index finger to pick the meat.

We eat some foods so we can only get our stomachs filled; as for this one, it also fills a part of me that always makes me remember home.

Thank you for reading.

_{Image used is mine}