Nigeria is home to more than 250 ethnic groups, each with its own cultural practices, including food. This diversity gives us a rich variety of traditional dishes, some of which remain relatively unfamiliar outside the communities where they originated. This week, we are exploring Gwote Acha, a traditional dish associated with the Berom people of Plateau State.
Made with acha, also known as fonio, beef, vegetables, tomatoes, peppers and onions, Gwote Acha is a savoury porridge traditionally prepared without cooking oil. Instead, the ingredients cook together in one pot, allowing the acha to absorb the flavours of the meat and vegetables as it swells and thickens into a hearty meal.
Ingredients
2 cups acha (fonio)
500 g beef brisket, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 fresh peppers, chopped, or to taste
2 garden eggs, chopped
2 handfuls of yakuwa (sorrel leaves)
1 handful of garden egg leaves
Salt to taste
Water, as needed
Method
Wash the acha
Acha grains can contain sand, so rinse them several times in a bowl of water. Carefully pour off the water and repeat until the grains are clean. Drain and set aside.
Cook the beef
Place the beef in a pot with some of the chopped onion, salt and enough water to cook the meat. Cover and simmer until the beef is tender, adding water when necessary. Retain the cooking liquid in the pot.
Add the vegetables
Add the tomatoes, fresh pepper and chopped garden eggs to the pot. Stir and allow them to cook in the beef stock until they begin to soften.
Add the acha
Pour the washed acha into the pot and stir continuously to distribute the grains evenly and prevent lumps from forming. Add enough water to cook the grains, keeping the mixture moist as it thickens.
Add the leafy vegetables
Stir in the yakuwa and garden egg leaves. Continue cooking until the acha is soft and the vegetables are tender. Stir regularly and add small amounts of water if the mixture becomes too thick before the grains are fully cooked.
Check and serve
Taste and adjust the salt if necessary. The finished dish should have a thick, porridge-like consistency, with the grains, meat and vegetables cooked together. Serve hot.
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Esther Emoekpere is a data analyst in the audience engagement department at BusinessDay, where she uses data to understand reader behaviour, spot unusual trends, and support the newsroom with insights that shape story performance. She holds a BSc in Statistics from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. She also with the BD Weekender team, where she covers a range of beats including profiles, food, lifestyle, restaurants, and fashion—creating stories shaped by audience interest and real-time engagement trends.
