Okro and Ogbono Soup with Carrot Semolina

The plating and styling of Nigerian food has gone through dramatic changes in recent times. There is more consciousness in healthy eating and living, hence the need to reinvent old time comfort food to a more appealing and appetizing experience.

I love incorporating veggies in my meals because it adds bulk and reduces the caloric content of the food. So for my semolina I would be making it with steamed and pureed carrots. I have seen some make garri with ugu or cabbage but I love it with carrot. The carrot lends its sweetness to the semolina and changes it to a vibrant orange colour.

Ingredients
500g beef
2 cups Okro, sliced 2 cups Ugu, shredded
1 cup Ogbono, milled
1/2 cup Crayfish, milled
1 cup or small pack flaked stock fish
1/2 teaspoon Cameroon pepper, milled
5 fresh pepper, atarodo, finely sliced
3/4 cups Palm oil
2 teaspoon Salt
4 cube seasoning
1 onion, medium sized

1. Put the beef in a pot add half of the onion, 2 cubes seasoning, Cameroon pepper and a light sprinkle of salt about 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
   
2. Bring the beef to a roaring boil. Add the washed flaked stock fish, reduce heat allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.In a small sauce pan heat the palm oil until very hot. Add the milled ogbono and stir quickly, it will form up( don't worry its an expected reaction). It's been said that this method of frying the ogbono makes for a tasty soup. I don't know about that or rather I don't agree. The only thing I noticed about frying the ogbono is that it makes the ogbono dissolve better in the soup. Hence there are no lumps and bits of the ogbono in the soup. Also because it quickly dissolves in the oil it reduces the cooking time.
   
3. Add the palm oil and ogbono mixture in the pot of beef, put in the remaining onions increase the heat from low to high.  Allow to boil for 5 minutes add the opeyi, crayfish, cube seasonings and salt cook for another 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove the pot lid at this point do not cover the pot again until after the soup is cooked and served except the soup is to be eaten at a later time. Leaving the pot uncovered will help to reduce the continued cooking of
   
   the veggies so that the okro and ugu still retains it colour and brightness.
5. Add the sliced peppers and ugu cook for a minute, in goes the okro with the rest of its relative in the pot. I allow it to cook for a minute because I would be serving it immediately. If I was to serve it later I turn off the heat immediately. Okro cook very fast so to retain its texture and colour DON'T OVER COOK!

Carrot semolina

5 carrots
1 cup semolina
water

Cut up the carrots into small sizes put in a pot add enough water to cover, cook until

tender. Puree the carrots in a blender use the water for boiling the carrots to puree it. Pour into a pot if the water is too small to make the semolina add more. Bring the carrot water to a boil stir in the semolina and make as directed by the manufacturer. (I forgot to get pictures when i was making the semolina but i hope my description helps:)

Serve with the soup above.

Egusi and Okazi Soup

During a discussion with some friends recently, scratch that discussion bit; we were arguing which ethnic group in Nigeria could lay claim to the Egusi soup. Egusi soup is eaten by almost all Nigerians it cuts across all geo-ethnic zone, Egusi soup has different recipes and methods of cooking. It is cooked with a vast array of leafy vegetables though ugu is the most popular vegetable used. I decided to make this Egusi soup with both Ugu and Okazi leaves.

Ingredients

5 cups Egusi

1 kg Beef

5 large pieces Tripe

5 large pieces Pomo

1 medium-sized Stock fish

1 medium-sized dry smoked fish

¾ cups Palm oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 bunch Ugu leaves, shredded

1 cup Okazi leaves, shredded

Dawa Dawa (locust beans) optional

¼ cup Crayfish, dry

Red pepper according to taste

Stock cubes

1. Put the beef, tripe, pomo and stock fish in a pot. Add two cube seasoning, 2 tsp salt, and onion. Pour in water to cover the beef, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender.
2. Divide the egusi into two equal parts keep one half aside. Take the other half and add just a little water to bring them together form 6 dumplings with the egusi.
3. Add the egusi balls to the pot of boiling meat, increase the heat and cook for about 15 minutes.Smash the balls to tiny bits.
4. Add the palm oil allow to boil for about 2 minutes.
5. Next break the dry fish into bits remove all the bones and wash. You can leave it whole if you prefer it bigger I just like them bite size. Add to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Now is the time to put in the remaining egusi( that is the remaining half that was kept aside earlier). Cook for 10 minutes then in goes the crayfish, dawa dawa, and pepper.
7.  Add the okazi and just let it boil.
8.  Seasoning with the stock cubes and salt.
9. Add the Ugu leaves in last allow to cook for 2 minutes and food is ready.
   
   
   
   
   
   Pair with any ‘swallow’ of your choice.
   
   
   
   
   

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Ofe Onugbu ( Bitter Leave Soup)

Bitter Leave soup is a very popular soup amongst the Igbos of Anambra origin. Every celebration that involves a feast would definitely have bitter leave soup as one of the dishes to be served.

The vegetable used to prepare this soup is called Onugbu, it is a very bitter leaf which is washed and rinsed severally to get rid of the bitter taste. It is easier to buy the washed one from the local market or get the dried washed leave and rehydrate in water before cooking. Growing up my mum would always buy the unwashed leave and then we had to wash it at home, I never loved that chore! If made right the bitter leave soup is a very delicious meal.

Ingredients
1KG beef cubed
500g Onugbu washed
Cocoyam
5 liters water
4 stock cubes
3 tsp salt
1 large stockfish head
1 medium sized smoked fish
2TBSP crayfish dry milled
2 TBSP ogiri
1/3 cup palm oil
Small onion

Put the washed beef and stockfish in a pot add onions, 2 tsp of salt, 2 stock cubes and 3 liters of water and boil until the beef is tender. You can soak the stockfish ahead of time in a litre of water but I skipped this part since the stockfish head cooks up pretty fast. If you are soaking the stockfish let it soak for about 2 hours then use the water as part of the cooking liquid.

Boil the cocoyam until it’s soft and tender. The cocoyam paste is made by pounding it in a mortar but I use my food processor or blender to pulverize it to a paste. Praise to the inventor of the food processor!

In another pot bring the onugbu to a boil add a dash of potash this helps to soften the leaves and gets rid of any bitterness left after the leaves were washed. Once it’s boiled wash it briefly and pour into a colander and allow to drain.

Time to assemble the whole gang into the pot, first up is the cocoyam followed by the dry fish cover the lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Next to join in the pot are the bitter leave followed by the red oil.

By now the soup is bubbling away and you can faintly perceive the aroma of onugbu but don't worry the main ingredient that gives onugbu its distinctive aroma is yet to join in the fun. The cocoyam should have dissolved ( or is it disintegrated ) by now add the crayfish, ogiri and pepper cook  further until the leaves are tender.

Now your house will be emitting the tantalizing aroma of onugbu soup your neighbors will definitely know you are making onugbu that's the power of ogiri.

Finally seasoning with the stock cubes and salt allow to boil for another 7 minutes.

Ebe ano!
Enjoy with your favorites 'swallow'