Àmàlà

🌱 Vegan

Àmàlà is a thick, dough-like staple served hot in balls alongside soups in Nigeria. It is made from yam, cassava or unripe plantain flour and comes from the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria.

History

Àmàlà originates with the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria and is popular across Yorubaland. Its base is flour made by peeling, drying and grinding tubers, a method that keeps a perishable ingredient stable for longer.

Over time three versions developed according to the raw material: àmàlà isu from yam, àmàlà láfún from cassava and àmàlà ogede from plantain. It also spread to other parts of West Africa, where similar doughs go by other names, such as kokonte in Ghana.

Culture

At the Yoruba table, àmàlà accompanies many soups such as egusi, ewedu, gbegiri, okra and ogbono, and is eaten by hand with them. It is prepared by stirring the flour into boiling water and kneading until smooth, a task that requires skill. It remains a daily staple in Nigerian homes today.

Trivia

Colour. White yam turns brown when dried, which gives àmàlà isu its dark colour.

Lower in carbohydrates. Plantain flour has less carbohydrate than the other versions, which is why it is suggested for people with diabetes.