Oats Swallow is a modern Nigerian recipe for a classic accompaniment of oat flour boiled to a smooth paste with water. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Nigerian version of: Oats Swallow.
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Of all the common grains, oats are probably the healthiest. They’ve also traditionally been looked down on as they were traditionally planted as a stand-by crop in case the main wheat or barley crops failed. However, the health benefits of oats means that the grain is going through something of a resurgence at the moment. It also tends to be slightly cheaper than other grain staples. Just as pasta has emerged as a modern staple in the Nigerian diet, oats are also becoming more common, both as a breakfast staple and to prepare swallows (also known as fufu) such as this one, for serving with draw soups.
As the oats need to be ground to a flour before making the fufu, you can start with just about any kind of oats for this recipe, though I tend to begin with the classic rolled oats.
Begin by grinding the oats to a fine and smooth powder. I usually do this in small batches in a spice grinder then I pass the flour through a fine-meshed sieve to remove any large and un-processed pieces of oat bran. Fill a small bowl with water and set this near your stove and within easy reach.
Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Take a wooden spoon or spatula and whilst stirring the water with your dominant hand take the oat flour in your other hand and gradually pour into the simmering water.
Continue adding more flour till the swallow thickens and forms a dough-like consistency.
Dip your cooking spoon/spatula into the bowl of water that you have at hand , then use the wetted utensil to scrape off the oats swallow on the wooden spatula and on the sides of the pot.
Gently lift the sides of the swallow, then add a little water to the pan.
At this point cover the saucepan and allow the swallow to steam for 2𠄳 minutes over medium heat to ensure that the oats have cooked.
After this, beat the contents of the pan very well with the wooden spatula to get a silky textured oat fufu. Turn into a bowl and serve.
