Amazing Abula!

At a Glance

📍 Location: Forest Hill, London

💷 Price: £85

🍴 Cuisine: Nigerian

⏱️ Duration: 3 hours, including cooking and dining

👤 Age: 18+ (participants 17 and under welcome with an adult over 21 who's also taking part)

👥 How you'll work: in pairs

🥘 Dietaries: Adaptable for vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian. Please note, while I take care to adapt recipes for dietary requirements, all ingredients are prepared in a shared kitchen where common allergens may be present.

A Journey Through Yoruba Soups & Okele

Smooth, earthy and deeply comforting, amala served with a trio of soups is the ultimate Nigerian comfort food. It's a dish that brings families together across Yorubaland and beyond. In this immersive class, you'll learn to make three different types of amala alongside three classic soups: silky gbegiri, vibrant ewedu, and rich obe ata, discovering the techniques that transform simple ingredients into a harmonious feast.

Master the art of Yoruba soups and okele (also known as swallow and sometimes fufu) as you explore the textures, techniques and traditions behind this beloved meal. From achieving the perfect smooth consistency in your amala to blending soups to velvety perfection, you'll gain hands-on skills and cultural insight whilst learning how to make these traditional recipes in a modern kitchen.

How we'll spend our time:

• Experience traditional techniques - from the continuous folding and smoothing motion for amala to the rapid whisking of ewedu, you'll connect with authentic Nigerian cooking and learn how to use traditional Nigerian cooking tools
• Create a flavourful obe ata – build layers of flavour by blending and cooking peppers, tomatoes and aromatics into a rich, savoury stew that ties everything together.
• Cook gbegiri to silky perfection – discover how to cook and blend black-eyed beans into a creamy, golden soup that's both comforting and protein-rich.
• Prepare ewedu – work with jute leaves and learn the traditional technique of whisking to create this distinctive, viscous green soup.
• Master the art of amala – learn the technique of folding yam, plantain and/or cassava flour into boiling water, working quickly to achieve that signature smooth, stretchy texture without lumps.
• Plate your abula – understand how these three soups complement each other and learn the traditional way of serving them together with your amala in one bowl.
• Take a seat at the table  - enjoy your amala feast with all three soups, served in the traditional style.

What we'll eat & drink:

• Sparkling Palm Wine - a welcome drink from Manya Wines (a non alcoholic welcome drink will be available too)
• Amala – smooth yam flour okele (sometimes referred to as swallow or dried yam fufu) with its distinctive dark colour and earthy flavour.
• Gbegiri – silky bean soup with a delicate, slightly sweet taste.
• Ewedu – vibrant green jute leaf soup with a unique viscous texture.
• Obe ata – rich tomato and pepper stew bringing heat and depth with a protein selection of your choice (based on your dietary requirements)
  • honeycomb tripe & diced beef
  • sea bass fillet & prawns
  • tofu & oyster mushrooms
• A choice of soft drink – choose a complimentary drink: 
  • Zobo - hibiscus, ginger, pineapple
  • Chapman - cucumbers, orange, lemon, blackcurrant
  • Bitter Lemon - lemon, bitters, mint
• Water and tea is provided throughout the class.

How the class will run:

• All ingredients, equipment and aprons will be provided.
• I'll lead you through easy to follow demos before you have a go at your cooking station.
• You'll work in pairs to recreate the dishes together.
• Once everything's cooked, we'll gather around the table to enjoy your Abula feast (or pack up a box to take home if you prefer).
• You'll receive a digital recipe pack after class with everything you need to recreate these dishes at home.

Things to know before you book:

• You're welcome to book on your own.  I'll pair you with another solo attendee on the day.
• The class includes demos, hands-on cooking, and time to sit down and enjoy the food you've made together.
• This is a hands-on cooking class, so I'm afraid I can't accommodate spectators or provide a waiting area for friends and family. Everyone attending needs to have a ticket and be actively participating.

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