HOW TO SPICE UP YOUR PAP WITH ZOBO LEAVES
Are you a pap lover but getting bored with the old recipe and need a recipe to spice things up for your palette?
Read through this recipe to rejuvenate your fondness for pap with the help of zobo leaves also known as hibiscus leaves or sorrel.
Pap is a thick custard-looking meal eaten by many Nigerians. The process of making pap is one of endurance and is made from fermented grain pudding commonly made from maize, sorghum, or millet, which is usually soaked for a number of days.
It is from the fermented stage that it progresses to the grinding stage and the next stage of getting the pap itself.
This meal is known by many names like pap, ogi, akamu and many more.
Contrary to popular belief that it contains no nutrient for the body, with this cornmeal, the body gets an abundance of vital nutrients to boost your immune system.
Be sure to get iron, zinc, B-vitamins (vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B5), protein, carbohydrates, lipids, and other minerals.
It has other health benefits such as lowering LDL cholesterol(bad cholesterol), it controls blood pressure and it is really advantageous for nursing mothers. Ogi is a reliable source of energy and simple to digest. It improves the health of the kidneys while reducing the incidence of neural tube abnormalities and encouraging healthy pregnancy.
It is a great meal for toddlers and newborns.
Ingredients
Wet cornstarch;akamu, ogi, pap
Zobo leaves
Water; hot and cold
For the sweet tooth: milk
Sugar (for the kick-in taste)
Method
Wash the zobo leaves to be used.
Put water in a kettle/pot and put the zobo leaves in it and put on heat to boil.
Mix 160g of pap with little cold water in a bowl.
Mix evenly until smooth, slightly thick but not runny or watery.
Pour from the kettle the now boiled water with the zobo leaves, directly into the pap/akamu/ogi mixture while stirring in circular forms.
The mixture will start to thicken, as you will see. It’s all set. Properly stir.
To taste, add sugar or cinnamon sugar also evaporated or powdered milk.
This cornmeal can go with either moi moi, akara or even bread.
To get that perfect thick consistency without lumps, it’s crucial that you pour boiling water from the kettle in a circular manner and also while stirring.
However, there are two things you can do if it occurs too frequently and causes the pap to become watery; 30 seconds in the microwave should do it.
It should thicken after being cooked in a pot over medium heat with stirring.
