One Dish Ghanaians have abandoned and Missing Out Its Health Benefits

Are you tired of eating starchy foods like rice, banku, fufu among others?

When was the last time you had something different apart from the listed meals above?

Do you want to change your diet for something healthier but you are simply out of options?

Why don’t you go back to your traditional healthy dish- Eto.

Eto is a Ghanaian “festive” dish made with yam or slightly ripe plantain. However, others opt for fully ripe plantain when preparing the dish.

It is easy to prepare and is full of great nutritional value.

Hitherto, eto and egg was served to brides, the morning before their wedding ceremony. While eating, the bride would swallow the full egg as it was perceived that biting into the egg points to infertility.

Additionally, the bride is served eto to sustain her through the entire ceremony to suppress the urge to visiti the washroom.

However, this tradition is gradually fading out of the system as brides choose not to eat at all or select from the usual rice, banku and yam before their wedding.

Eto was the local version of a birthday cake in the olden days. During that time, eto was served with eggs for birthday celebrants. The celebrant is supposed to eat a full egg to celebrate a new year.

All these traditions and the eto dish are subtly fading out of the system with its nutritional value, at a time when what we eat as a people should be our primary concern.

Ingredients for preparing eto are, yam or ripe plantain, palm oil, pepper, onion, hard smoked herrings, “Koobi” (Dry salted tilapia), roasted groundnuts, eggs and pear or avocado for garnishing.

Each of this rich mix of ingredients has nutritional values good for the body.

According to research, plantain plays an important role in keeping the digestive system regular as it contains fibre.

Research by Medical News Today, posits that consuming pear may help with weight loss and reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, if eaten as part of an overall healthy diet.

Herrings produce vitamin D for strong bones and teeth and in men; groundnut could have a significant effect on the quality of sperm.

Eggs are known to be a very good source of inexpensive, high quality protein.

If the above health benefits don’t move you to incorporate eto in your menu, I don’t know what else would.

Here’s all you need to begin your healthy meal journey.

Ingredients for eto

3 slightly ripe plantains (You could use more depending on how you want it)

3 Chili pepper (You could add more based on your preference)

Salt to taste

1 medium sized onion

7 Tablespoonful palm oil

Roasted groundnuts (enough for garnishing and enough to grind with pepper and onion)

2 Eggs

One Avocado

Palm oil

Dried smoked herrings and “koobi” (Optional)

Method

1. Boil slightly ripe plantains and eggs for 30 minutes (add salt to taste)

2. Wash onions and peppers and grind together with groundnuts, with salt to taste.

3. Wash and add herrings and “koobi” to groundnut and pepper mixture and grind in an earthenware bowl (ayiwa).

4. Mash cooked plantains in another earthenware bowl

5. Slice some onions into 5-6 tablespoonful palm oil and set on fire for a minute.

6. Add palm oil to the mashed plantain and mix evenly.

7. Add the ground mixture to mashed plantain and mix thoroughly

8. Garnish eto with roasted groundnuts, eggs and pear.

9. Food is ready to be served.