In almost every city you go to in Igboland, you will readily see women earning money from preparing and selling cooked beans and roasted plantain to other people on a daily basis.
The other day some staff of this Magazine were returning from an official assignment in UNIZIK, when they chanced upon Ukamaka a beans and plantain seller on campus and got hooked to her restaurant, mainly because Professors, Deans, Directors, Post-Graduate Students. lectures and students were trooping in and out of her place.
We decided to corner Ukamaka to find out what’s her secret? how does she go about preparing her delicacy, her promotion techniques etc
Here are excerpts of what she told us:
Things You Use for Freparing Your Beans and Plantain
- Beans
- water
- Plantain
- Salt
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Curry
- Thyme
- Palm oil
- Beef
- Nchu Anwu
- Utazi
How You Go About Cooking Your Meals?
- I lay the plantains on a wire gauze above a burning charcoal to roast
- I cook the beef with some onions, seasoning cubes, salt, curry, and thyme.
- In a clean pot, I add the beans and a pinch of salt then cook it until it becomes very soft.
- While the beans is boiling, I grind my tomatoes, pepper, and some onions into paste.
- Once the beans is well cooked, I put another pot on the fire. Pour palm o into it, add the tomato paste and stir. Then I also add grounded crayfish an the sauce from the boiled beef also add some salt then pour the beans into the frying stew and the plantains as well. It naturally thickens and ready to be served.
- I also delight in decorating the meals I served to my customer. It must appeal to the eye o! So I take time to decorate before serving. I instruct my girls to also do the same.
What are Your Greatest Selling Points?
- I concentrate on my work a lot
- I Have a very positive relationship with my own staff helping me in the kitchen and in serving my customers
- I also learn a lot from my mistakes. Perhaps these are the reasons everyone – Professors and Students regularly patronize me.
How Long Have You Sold beans and Plantain on Campus?
- 7 years…
Is the Business Lucrative for You?
Yes, I have sponsored two of my children, who are almost graduating from this university, through the income from this business.
That’s all we had with her. She quickly went back to mind her business while we also headed back to our office to do the same… Lol!