This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Okra soup is very versatile and works very well with any “swallow” of choice Save time by doing things in parallel, so start with the pepper base, and while it is cooking, you can prepare the okra. If the stew is too thick, you can also add some water to thin here. Add the prawns and cook for 3 minutes.Ĭombine the okra and the pepper base in a pan. Pour in smoked mackerel and ground crayfish and allow to cook for another 10 mins. Leave to cook for 10 mins, then add 2 cups of water. Heat palm oil in a pan for 1 min, then pour in the pepper mix and cover the pan. Make the pepper base by blending the bell pepper, scotch bonnet pepper and onion into a puree. Total cooking time should be around 10 mins as overcooking makes okra lose the precious mucilage. Do not cover the pan.Ĭook for 7 mins, add some salt to taste, and stir until the okra is soft to bite. Wash the fermented locust beans and also add to the pan and stir properly. Okra - Chopped with a knifeĪdd the okra into a pan with 3 cups of water. If you are using a blender, add a small amount of water and pulse at intervals so the okra does not become a puree. Prepare for cooking by chopping with a knife or food processor, grating or blending coarsely. Wash the okra pods, then cut off the stems. The two will then come together at the end of cooking. One to cook the sauce and the other to cook the okra. You will need two pots to get a good pot of Nigerian okra soup. You can buy fermented locust beans in the freezer of African shops or Etsy. If, however, you can’t get it or you find locust beans too strong, then you can omit it. Fermented locust bean (Iru): If you can access fermented locust beans, you must not leave it out of the Nigrian okra soup recipe as it is essential for the traditional umami flavour.Beef, goat meat, smoked turkey, fresh fish and mixed seafood all work well with this soup. Cook with only smoked fish, and you will have a delicious pot of soup, or go large and add other protein of choice. Meat/Fish: Ila alasepo can be as cheap or as expensive as your pocket.However, if the tip does not separate cleanly with fibrous bits holding it to the okra, it is a tough one and will not be very viscous after cooking. If it snaps off and separates easily then it is good and should make a viscous soup. The way to identify good okra when buying is to bend the tip slightly. The bigger, more mature pods are usually tougher to cook and not as mucilaginous. Okra: Buy deep green, tender okra pods for this soup.Nigerian okra soup is highly nutritious as okra is combined with other vegetables and condiments like locust beans which are all good sources of vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of vitamins C and K, iron, and calcium. Okra has high fibre and is rich in vitamins and minerals. All you need to do is buy the okra, then dig into your cupboard and freezer for other ingredients to whip up a delicious pot of soup. It is a lifesaver when you don’t have a lot of ingredients at home. The skill of winding your hands so that the “slimy” soup does not get everywhere when you are eating is essential and passed down from parents to children. It coats the swallow nicely and makes it easy to go down the throat. This mucilaginous property, which is not liked in most cultures, is one of the reasons why it is revered as a soup in Nigeria. When okra is cooked, it becomes very viscous and “slimy”. Plain okra needs a stew to make a complete accompaniment, while ila alasepo (Nigerian okra soup) is a complete soup. Okra (also called okro) is either cooked plain or in a sauce with condiments and fish or meat (ila asepo/ila alasepo). Okra soup is one of the many vegetable soups that is widely eaten with swallow in Nigeria and other West African countries.
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