Swallow is a popular group of Nigerian dishes, made with high-carbohydrate foods and served with soups and stews that are packed with protein. Find out how to prepare cabbage swallow that is diet-friendly and goes fantastic with a keto diet.
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1. Benefits of cabbage swallow
Classic Nigerian swallow tastes great, but there is one big problem with it. Swallow is traditionally made with starchy vegetables like yam and cassava, which are incredibly rich in carbohydrates. According to the basics of the ketogenic diet, you should eat as little carbs as possible.
So what exactly makes ketogenic cabbage swallow such a great addition to your diet? The reason why so many keto fans are including cabbage swallow into their diet is the nutritional value of cabbage: it contains little to no carbs and lots of protein, which is exactly what’s needed to get your body into the ketosis state.
2. Ingredients for cabbage swallow
Like other Nigerian types of swallow, cabbage swallow is an appealingly easy dish that will only require a minimum of ingredients. Here is what you’ll need for this cabbage swallow recipe:
- 1 medium cabbage
- 3 tablespoons of psyllium husks
- 1 teaspoon of palm oil for colour (optional)
If you’re not that into dieting and healthy eating, you may be confused by the last ingredient. Psyllium husks are made from the Plantago ovata seeds. They are sold in batches and are most commonly used as a laxative agent thanks to its high content of dietary fiber.
However, psyllium husks have a number of other health benefits, including the ability to lower cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and lower the levels of sugar in the blood. In the swallow the husks are used as a binding agent for keeping the pieces of cabbage together.
3. How to make cabbage swallow
Follow these steps to make your first batch of nutritional and healthy cabbage swallow.
- Chop the cabbage into little pieces.
- Put the cabbage into a pot, cover it with water, put on the stove, bring up to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water from the cabbage and turn it into a puree using a hand blender.
- At this point you can add the palm oil for colouring or skip this step.
- Add the psyllium husks and continue working with the blender until the mixture is absolutely smooth.
- Put the pot back on the stove, cook for approximately three minutes, and then shape into the desired shape like you would do with other types of swallow.
- Serve with your favourite protein-packed soup and enjoy!
4. How to make cabbage swallow without psyllium husk
Psyllium husk may be hard to find at your local stores, and if you’re not a fan of online shopping, you may find yourself in a situation where you don’t have the key ingredient for the cabbage swallow. Luckily, it can be substituted with a traditionally Nigerian ingredient.
The ingredient in question is ogbono seeds. Use about 1 tablespoon of ground ogbono seeds for a small cabbage. Increase the amount of ogbono seeds if you’re working with a medium or large cabbage. Ogbono seeds will give your swallow just the right flavour and texture!
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