How would you love to take your taste buds on a wild ride to Cameroon? One of my favorite Cameroonian dishes is Achu Soup, also known as Yellow Soup, which goes hand in hand with Achu (cocoyam fufu). It is a deliciously warm and comforting dish that will satisfy your cravings, and I’ve got just the perfect recipe that’ll knock your socks off.
Achu Soup, also known as “Ndza Nikki,” and in French, “Sauce Jaune,” is a staple food in the North West region of Cameroon, and it is the specialty of the Bamenda people and the Bamilekes. It is known as the “Food for Kings” because it’s the dish of choice to prepare when visiting traditional Cameroonian rulers (Chiefs/KDelicious Cameroon Achu Soupings). So rejoice, my friends, because, with this dish, you’re in for a royal treat.
But before we get to the cooking part, let’s talk about ingredients. To make this mouth-watering dish, you’ll need some key Achu soup ingredients, like Kanwa (limestone), palm oil, and the secret ingredient that gives Achu soup its remarkable taste and unique mouth-watering flavor —Achu soup spices, which is a blend of different indigenous Cameroon spices. And of course, you can’t forget the cocoyams (taro) for the Achu.
I know some of these ingredients might be hard to find if you live abroad, especially the achu soup spices, but don’t worry, you can find them in Asian, Indian, and African (precisely Cameroonian-owned) grocery stores.
If you can’t find Kanwa, baking soda would make a perfect substitute. Also, you can make another substitute, “nikki”. Nikki is an ash-like substance made by burning peels of plantains.
Okay, so now that you’ve got all your ingredients ready, the first step in my Achu soup recipe is to make an emulsion of the palm oil, Kanwa, and Achu soup spices with your meat stock to form a glorious yellow uniform solution – Achu Soup. Before now, our mothers used to go through the laborious process of manual mixing. But now, thank God for blenders which make it a whole lot easier and smoother, we can easily bypass all the stress within minutes.
Next, we make the Achu, a dough made from pounded cocoyam (Achu fufu). Some people prefer using a traditional mortar, but I like to take the easy route and use a food processor, which I recommend if you’d love to save time. Whichever method you choose, ensure the dough is as smooth as possible without any lumps.
Well, now that we know the basics of how to make Achu Soup, let’s give this Cameroonian delicacy a try and get cookin’!
Savour the Flavours of Cameroon: The Authentic Cameroon Achu Soup Recipe
Ingredients
To make Achu soup, you will need the following ingredients:
- 3 pounds boiled meats/fish of choice ( a blend of beef, beef skin (canda), beef tripe (towel), smoked/fried fish
- 4 cups meat broth from boiled meats
- 1 Cup hot Palm oil
- Thumb size Kanwa (LimeStone) / 1 tablespoon Baking soda
- 2 tablespoons Achu soup spices
- 2-4 Seasoning cubes
- 2 Scotch bonnet hot peppers
- Salt and pepper to taste
And for the Achu:
- 4 pounds small cocoyams (taro)
Instructions
How to make Achu
- Wash cocoyams and place them in a pot without removing the skin.
- Boil until the cocoyams are soft and the skin comes off easily.
- While they are still warm, peel and process to a paste in a food processor or pound in a mortar and pestle. You’ll achieve a perfect texture and smooth consistency.
- When it is all processed, place your nicely boiled cocoyams into a serving bowl and serve it with your Achu Soup.
Join our Spotcovery Global Black Community Facebook Group for early access to exclusive content and share in a lively discussion.
How to make Achu Soup (Yellow Soup)
- Wash your meat, pour it into a pot, season until it’s tasty enough for the soul, and boil. To quicken the cooking time and have tender meat, some use a pressure cooker.
- Once the meat is ready, pour out the meat stock into a separate pot.
- Pour 1 cup palm oil into a frying pan and heat for about 1 minute. Do NOT bleach it. Alternatively, you can put our palm oil jar in a microwave and heat it for some minutes to avoid bleaching.
- Take 4 cups of meat stock and pour it into a blender. Add the palm oil, Kanwa, and Achu soup spices and pulse until it is uniform and yellowish.
- Taste to ensure that the seasoning is perfect. You can add a little salt and seasoning if needed.
- Pour the soup into your pot of meat.
- Serve with your Achu!
Watch Kunakeys Kitchen make Achu Soup. Kuna is a Cameroonian based in the United States. She is a registered nurse by profession, and she loves to discover new and easy ways to cook delicious African cuisine.
One of the most exciting things about Achu Soup is how it is presented and enjoyed. When serving, we mold the Achu (pounded cocoyam mound) into a cone with a large hollow in the center. Then we pour the steaming hot Achu Soup into the center, creating a visually stunning and delicious dish that is sure to impress. Eating it is even more fun, as you simply wash your hands, scoop some Achu by moving your index finger around the Achu fufu, dip it into the Achu Soup, and enjoy. For this reason, the Achu dish is called “One finger around the World.” Ha!
The Achu delicate soup is a Cameroonian delicacy that will satisfy your cravings for something savory and exotic. Give it a try, and let your taste buds travel to Cameroon with every spoonful. Bon appétit!
Read Also: Recipe: Easy Homemade Ghanaian Waakye Recipe
Nearly 80% of consumers turn to directories with reviews to find a local business. List your business for free in our exclusive Spotcovery Black-Owned Business Directory.
