Today was poignant for me as I watched my mum make ofe onubu (bitter leaf soup) and Ukpo ogede ( a steamed plantain pudding). The whole thing transported me back to when I was a little girl watching her whip up all manners of meals in the kitchen. Ofe onubu is indigineous to the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. The Igbos from Anambra state like the bitter leaf to be chunky with the stems in tact. In other parts of Igbo land the better leaf is crushed until it is almost completely pulverized. The process of washing the leaves to extract its over powering bitterness is tedious and unless you want green tipped finger nails, you may be better served buying the hygienically pre-washed leaves from your local market or shop (we bought ours from Ebeano. Ukpo ogede is a delicacy eaten widely in Igbo land but also enjoyed by indigenes of Edo, Delta, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states. Of course the name changes from locality to locality but the integrity of the dish is generally the same. Lets start with the recipe for Ukpo ogede. To make 12. - 15 wraps of Ukpo ogede you will need Ingredients 5 very ripened plantains 2 cups plantain flour 1 1/2 cup of water 1 teaspoon Cameroon pepper 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup palm oil 3 tablespoons dry crayfish (powdered) 1 onion 30 fresh broad banana leaves for wrapping locally known as ewe moimoi (Yoruba) or akukwo moimoi (Igbo) the botanical name is Thaumatococcus daniellii, strictly speaking it is not a banana leaf but looks like it. The How To Peel plantain, chop and puree them in a blender with the onion and 1 cup of water. Turn the mixture out into a large bowl and add the plantain flour. Mix it through until there are no lumps left them add in all the other condiments and the palm oil ensuring that you have an even mixture. Set it aside. Now is the tricky part, wrapping the mixture up with the leaves in readiness for steaming. Get a large steamer or if you dont have one a large broad based pot will work just as well. Rinse each leaf carefully checking for breaks and tears. All damaged leaves should be set aside. They will be used later. Then clip off the long stems using a sharp knife or pair of scissors; place these at the bottom of your pot if you dont have a steamer. Take a pair of leaves, one bigger than the other. The leaves should be placed together, the smaller one on top. Carefully fold the bottom outer ends of the leaves in wards until the meet at the spine of the leaf, the gently bend it backwards. Now you should have a sealed open ended envelope. Open the top to enable you pour in your seasoned plantain paste. Be careful not to over fill it it should be 2/3 filled. Tuck the smaller outer leaf inwards over the mixture the fold the upper outer leaf to seal and bend back wards. Place your parcel carefully in your steamer or pot. My mums tip is to place the parcels almost vertically against the wall of the pot as opposed to completely horizontal, this will minimise the amount of water that seeps in an permit for an even steaming process. Once youre some wrapping your parcels and placed them carefully in your pot or steamer, turn the heat on medium, place the lid on and steam for 1 1/2 hours. It is essential to let these cool substantially before even attempting to handle or unwrap them, this also permits the Ukpo ogede to set. My youngest and I inhaled 3 portions on no time! Its sweet, Savoury, moist and filling. My oldest however was not so keen. For the bitter leaf soup you will need Ingredients 2 packets of pre-washed bitter leaf Cooked beef (or any assortment of meat of your choice) 3 cups of beef stock (or water) 2 pieces of stock fish 1 locust bean patty (optional) 1 medium sized smoked fish like Asa or cat fish 2 tbs achi (a thickener) or you could use a small portion of pounded yam. 11/2 tsp dry Cameroon pepper 1/2 cup palm oil Salt to taste It would be ideal to have a washed and soaked the stock fish in hot water for at least two hours before you start cooking. This helps to rehydrate it and shorten the cooking time. Also bone and wash your dry fish. You achieve this by immersing the fish in hot water for a few minutes. Drain and carefully extract bones and other parts of the fish you dont want in the soup. If you prep these two items ahead the cooking process will be seamless. Now put stock or water, cooked meats, dry and stock fish, bitter leaf, locust bean, pepper, and crayfish in a medium sized pot and bring to boil. Note: if you opt to use pounded yam as a thickner it should go immediately you commence the cooking process. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 mins. After this time add the achi and palm for a further five minutes. And there you have it an authentic Igbo soup. Best enjoyed with eba or pounded cassava known as fufu. There are no fancy pictures with this post mostly because I was preoccupied with eating and reminiscing ......LOL! I really felt like a little girl today :-) If you want an incredible guide to preparing Nigerian cuisine with equally stunning pictures please visit dooneyskitchen Her blog is amazing with clear directions and handy tips!
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:42:09 +0000
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