I remember when my paternal grand mum was alive, anytime we go to the village to visit her, that was her most served delicacy. She would prepare the original local Oha soup with the leaves very large and the soup hardly thickened and when you taste that soup you know that you are in the village and you are tasting originality at its core,lollzz.
Oha leaves are found in the eastern part of Nigeria and are used to make a cultural delicacy soup called Oha soup. Whether with the addition of Ofor, Achi, Ogbono or even Eguisi, it works perfectly well.
It can also be combined with Uziza leaves, scent leaves or even Bitter-leaves, which ever the combination its still a hit.
Oha and Ogbono Soup with Uziza Leaves has become one of my favorite soups...a combination made in heaven😁
This combination is a usual in my home and its a must try out...
so lets get cooking...
FULL RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
FOR A MEDIUM COOKING POT
- 1 CUP OF OGBONO, FINELY GROUNDED.
- OHA LEAVES ACCORDING TO PREFERENCE BUT NOT TOO MUCH
- SMALL QUANTITY OF UZIZA LEAVES
- 1 MEDIUM COOKING SPOON OF RED OIL
- GOAT MEAT
- DRY FISH( I USED 1 DRY CAT FISH AND 1 LARGE BONGA FISH)
- ICE FRESH FISH ACCORDING TO PREFERENCE (I USED STOCK FISH, NOT THE DRIED STOCK FISH THE ICED FRESH STOCK FISH)
- SALT
- OKPOROKO HEAD( STOCK FISH HEAD)
- GHANA PEPPER
- DRIED SHRIMPS OR PRAWNS(OPORO CRAYFISH) SOME FOR GROUNDING AND SOME LEFT WITH HEAD REMOVED FOR GARNISHING(YOU COULD USE ORDINARY CRAYFISH FOR BLENDING)
- WATER
- ¼ TEA SPOON F MUSTARD SEEDS
- 2 SEEDS OF YELLOW PEPPER(SMALL SIZE) OR ACCORDING TO PREFERENCE
PREP
TIPS-
- NOW FOR THIS OHA SOUP INSTEAD OF OFOR, ACHI OR EDE(COCO-YAM) TO THICKEN IT, WE ARE USING OGBONO, SO MAKE SURE TO GAUGE THE WATER AND THE OGBONO YOU HAVE SO THAT YOUR SOUP ISN'T TOO LIGHT.
- BUT AS A KITCHEN HACK ITS ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE SOME OFOR OR ACHI AROUND SO IN CASE YOUR SOUP IS STILL WATERY AFTER THE OGBONO IS ADDED, YOU CAN SPRINKLE LITTLE OFOR OR ACHI TO THICKEN IT MORE…
- I USED BLACK MUSTARD SEEDS SPICE FOR THIS RECIPE BUT ITS OPTIONAL, BECAUSE OF MY LOVE FOR SPICES I HARDLY GO A MEAL WITHOUT TRYING OUT SPICES EXCEPT I HAVE RAN OUT OF THEM.
- THE MUSTARD SEEDS GAVE THIS SOUP A LOVELY AROMA AND TASTE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I DON’T USE STOCK CUBES… BUT BE CAREFUL TO NOT ADD TOO MUCH SPICES IN SOUPS SO AS NOT TO DAMPEN THE ORIGINAL TASTE OF YOUR SOUP, YOU JUST NEED A LITTLE TO ENHANCE IT,WHEN IT COMES TO SPICES AND SOUPS
- SOME PEOPLE BOIL THEIR MEATS AND DRY-FISH SEPARATELY IN ANOTHER POT, BUT I PREFER TO BOIL WITH MY SOUP WATER, ESP IF I AM COOKING A SOUP THAT NEED LOTS OF WATER.
- A TIP I USE TO KEEP MY DRY FISH, AND FRESH OR ICE FISH WHOLE WITHOUT SCATTERING DUE TO STIRRING OF THE POT IS TO REMOVE BEFORE I START THE MAIN COOKING,IE AFTER IT MUST HAVE COOKED AND SOFTENED
- WHEN HANDLING OHA LEAVES MAKE SURE YOU HANDLE IT LIGHTLY BECAUSE PRESSING AND SQUEEZING MAKES IT GET A BITTER TASTE
YOU CAN COOK OHA IN DIFFERENT WAYS BUT FOR THIS RECIPE WITH OGBONO I DID THE FOLLOWING
- FIRSTLY, WASH YOUR MEATS, DRY FISHES, ICE FISH AND STOCK FISH HEAD OR OKPOROKO HEAD AND SET ASIDE IN A BOWL.
- BLEND THE OPORO CRAYFISH, MUSTARD SEEDS WITH THE YELLOW PEPPER AND SET ASIDE
- IF USING A MEDIUM POT ADD WATER TO ALMOST MORE THAN HALF OF THE POT ON A HIGH HEAT.
- ADD YOUR GOAT MEAT, DRY FISH, ICE FISH AND OKPOROKO HEAD INSIDE THE WATER, THEN SPRINKLE A LITTLE SALT AND PEPPER AND COVER THE POT TO BOIL.
- WHEN YOU NOTICE THAT YOUR ICE FISH IS WELL DONE AND STILL FIRM REMOVE AND PUT IN A BOWL. DO SAME FOR THE DRIED FISH, THE ICE FISH WOULD GET DONE BEFORE THE DRIED ONE, SO BE CAREFUL TO NOT LEAVE YOUR ICE FISH FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES YOUR DRY FISH TO GET DONE, THAT IS IF YOU WANT THE ICE FISH TO STILL BE FIRM AFTER COOKING.
- LEAVE YOUR GOAT MEAT TO BOIL TILL THE SKIN PART (KPOMO) BECOMES SOFT.
- WHEN THAT HAPPENS, ADD SALT, DRY PEPPER, RED OIL, STIR AND LEAVE TO BOIL.
- MEANWHILE WASH YOUR OHA AND UZIZA TOGETHER( ITS OPTIONAL YOU CAN WASH THEM SEPARATELY). 3-4 TIMES WASH AND FILTER TO BE SAFE,OR TILL YOU FEEL THE UNDER OF THE BOWL WITH WATER AND YOUR LEAVES THEN YOU DON’T FEEL A SPECK OF SAND.
- FOR YOUR OHA AND UZIZA CUT THEM IN CHUNKS. FOR THE OHA SOMETIMES YOU CAN JUST SHRED WITH YOUR HANDS, BUT I PREFER A LARGE CUTTING WITH KNIFE.
- WHEN YOUR POT STARTS BOILING VERY WELL,TURN IN YOUR BLENDED OGBONO. YOU CAN MELT IT WITH WATER OR PUT DIRECTLY TO THE POT.
- STIR AND STIR AND STIR, THEN TASTE AND ADD IN SALT AND PEPPER AGAIN TO TASTE AND ANY OTHER SPICE YOU WISH TO,EXCEPT STOCK CUBES, TASTE AND IF ITS TO YOUR SATISFACTION LEAVE FOR ABOUT FIVE MINS UNCOVERED
- THEN POUR YOUR BLENDED CRAYFISH,YELLOW PEPPER,BLACK MUSTARD SEED AND UN-BLENDED OPORO CRAYFISH BODY, STIR AND LEAVE FOR 2-3MINS MAKE SURE YOU KEEP TASTING TO GET YOUR DESIRED PREFERENCE OF PEPPER AND SALT OR EVEN CRAYFISH
- ADD IN YOUR OHA AND UZIZA LEAVES STIR PROPERLY THEN IMMEDIATELY ADD THE DRY FISH AND FRESH FISH EARLIER REMOVED, JUST PUSH SLIGHTLY INTO THE SOUP( THIS SHOULD BE DONE AFTER THE LAST STEERING).
- LEAVE FOR 3 MINS WITH THE LEAD OPEN, THEN REMOVE FROM HEAT WITH THE POT REMAINING UNCOVERED. AND OUR SOUP IS READYYYY…
Serve with any swallow of your choice and enjoyyyy.
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