HOW TO COOK AFANG SOUP (OKAZI SOUP).

Human race is richly blessed with all manner of soup irrespective of what ingredients they are made of. No wonder in Botany, we were meant to believe that 99% of plants are highly medicinal to our health. Virtually all medicine is products of plant. Afan soup which is mainly prepared with okazi (Gnetum africanum) leaves cannot be ruled out of its nutritional value.

 Periwinkles.

Ingredients:

1 pound meat, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 hot chille pepper, 1 onion chopped, several periwinkles, 2 pieces of dried fish(quantity to be used in optional), 2 pounds afang leaves (cleaned) pounded with mortar and pestile, 1 pound of waterleaf, 1 cup of dried pawn (pound), 1 cup red palm oil and stockfish.

 

Preparation:

1. Get a clean pot, wash and clean your stockfish properly and boil, then add already seasoned and boiled meat and simmer for 5 mins.
2. Add onion and chille pepper. Reduce heat, cover to simmer.
3. In a separate pan bring a few cups of lightly salted water to a boil.
4. Place the periwinkles in the boiling water. Cover and cook for 5 mins.
5. Remove snails from water; use a small fork to remove the snails from the shells. Rinse the snails meat in cool water. Drain and sprinkle with lime lemon juice.
6. Add the properly cleaned periwinkle, dried fish and waterleaf to the pot of stockfish. Cover and simmer for several minutes.
7. Add pounded afang leaves with crushed dried prawns, add palm oil and simmer for 5mins till greens are completely soft and tender.
8. Soup is ready and is best eaten with pounded yam, garri and pounded cassava(akpu or fufu).

COOKING WHITE SOUP (NSALA SOUP).

White soup popularly known as NSALA, is native soup of the South East and South-South Nigeria. The soup in most cases is prepared for mothers that just put to bed. Reason being that the ingredients used in preparing the food are of medicinal value in bringing to shape the internal and external systems of the woman.  Beside the use for  nursing mothers, it is also used by all who love it. I love it and I eat it often.

Ingredients:

Cat fish, utazi (crongromena ratifolia), raw white yam/yam powder/potato puree-thickner, chilli pepper, salt, ground crayfish, seasoning-3 magi cubes, ogiri (locust bean cake).

  

Preparation:

1. Cut the catfish into 1 inch thick cylindrical discs and remove the intestines. Place the bowl and pour very hot water on the fish. This process of pouring hot water on the fish toughens the skin of the fish so that the pieces do not disintegrate while cooking the soup. Leave for 2mins and wash the fish with cold water. You should also wash off any slimy substance on the outer skin of the fish at this time.
2. Boil a few cubes of raw white yam. When soft, pound with a mortar and pestle till a smooth paste is formed, then set aside. You can substitute white yam with yam powder or potato puree for the thickening.
3. Wash and pound/blend the utazi leaves, the chilli pepper and the crayfish and set aside. Utazi is bitter in taste and only used for flavoring so one or two leaves should be enough especially when using the fresh leaves.

Cooking Direction:

1. Place the catfish in a pot and pour enough water to cover the fish. Add the seasoning and cook till done. Feel free to add beef and dry fish to this soup recipe.
2. When the catfish is almost done, add the crayfish, pepper and utazi leaves blend. Also add the yam paste in small lumps  and salt to taste.
3. Cover the pot and allow the contents to cook at high heat till all the yam paste has dissolved. While cooking, if you think that the yam paste will make the soup too thick, you can remove some that are yet to dissolve.
4. The nsala soup is ready to be served with Garri, semolina, amala, pounded yam or Pounded cassava(akpu or fufu).

Note: the nsala soup can also be prepared with chicken.

HOPE YOUR ARE NOT SALIVATING WHILE READING THIS POST. YOU CAN BE YOUR MASTER CHEFF!!!

 

COOKING EWEDU SOUP (A NATIVE SOUP OF THE YORUBAS FROM THE SOUTH WEST NIGERIA).

Ewedu (long fruited vegetable the English name or Corchorous Olitorius the Botanical name) soup is a type of soup prepared by the yorubas from the south west Nigeria. It’s a soup prepared with Ewedu leaf. The soup is very nutritional. Because of its nutritional value, the soup has become a household name with and outside Nigeria. Waooh! The soup is best eaten with STEW and AMALA; Amala is a typical local made food from Yam Pill. The yam pill is allowed to dry under the sun and later pound to from yam powder.

 

Ingredients:

Ewedu leaves, local broom, locust bean(ogiri, iru, dawadawa), salt, water, potash(optional), 1 magi cube, stew.

Preparation:

1. Pick the leaves of the ewedu and wash thoroughly with plenty of water to remove any sand.
2. Place a pot on the fire with water inside add ewedu leaves in the pot that is on fire and boil for about 20mins. Add the locust bean and potash to make it soft, after that touch it and see if it is soft.
3. When it is soft, use the local broom (clean broom) to mash it very well then put your salt and the magi cube as well.
4. Leave it to cook but not for a longtime then your ewedu soup is ready.
5. Serve it with amala and stew.

 

 Nutritional Information

Ewedu leaves pack the antioxidant trio of Vitamins A, C and E which fend off free radicals thereby protecting the body from degenerative diseases. The ACE vitamins also happen to be the most beautifying vitamins, increasing collagen production to keep the skin firm and young-looking. This is why most people belief that ewedu was Cleopatra’s beauty secret

- Vitamin A, aids in repairing the body’s cells and improves eyesight

- Vitamin C improves circulation and helps lower the risk of eye disorders

- Vitamin E slows down the aches and pains associated with aging and increases stamina

- Calcium contributes to strong teeth and bones

Half a cup of prepared ewedu will give you the following nutrients: 20 calories ,0.3 grams of fat, 3.1 grams of carbohydrate, 0.4 grams of fiber, 1.3 grams of protein, 87 mg of calcium, 22 mg of phosphorous, 1,334 IU of beta-carotene, 1 mg of iron, 0.02 mg of thiamin, 0.04 mg of riboflavin, 0.3 mg of niacin, 10 mg of Vitamin C, 48.9 IU of Vitamin E

Ewedu is a great option for those trying to loose weight. 1 cup mixed ewedu soup with a handful large prawns and no oil has less than 100 calories in comparison to same amount of Egusi with over 400 calories

(The nutritional value is culled from www.digitalkobo09.blogspot.com)

 

Waoh!  What a very simple way to quench your hunger. Hope your enjoy this? Please recommend to others.

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