Vegetable Sauce Recipe

This tasty recipe, made from chopped salad vegetables is a colourful way to enjoy a wide range of staple foods with vegetables. Some people even call it Salad Stew. Eat it with white rice, boiled yam, fried plantain or even mashed potatoes. How to Make Nigerian Vegetable Sauce [Video] It is very rich in vitamins and nutrients. So there is no reason why you should not be cooking this recipe as soon as possible. I promise you'll not want to eat the Nigerian Red Stew ever again after eating this vegetable sauce. Ingredients Whole Chicken Vegetable Oil (2 cooking spoons) 5 Spring Onions 8 Fresh Plum Tomatoes (Jos Tomatoes) 8 medium Carrots Cabbage (1 small bulb) Potatoes (3 medium sized) 1 Red Bell Pepper (optional) 1 Green Bell Pepper Salt - to taste Seasoning – 3 big stock cubes, thyme Before you cook the Vegetable Sauce Wash and cut the vegetables: plum tomatoes (remember to remove the seeds), carrots, cabbage and bell pepper as shown. Remember to scrape the carrots before cutting. Set these aside. Peel the Irish potatoes, wash and cut into small pieces. Blend into a thick paste and set aside. This will be used as thickener for the Vegetable Sauce. Cooking Directions Wash and cut the whole chicken into pieces. Place in a pot, add chopped spring onions, stock cubes and thyme. Add water to cover the contents of the pot and start cooking. When done, add salt to taste and top up the water to the same level as the contents if necessary. Once it boils, add the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable oil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Now, add the potato puree, chopped bell peppers and cabbage. Stir, cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Add salt to taste and the sauce is ready to be served. Note: Feel free to experiment by varying the thickness of the vegetable sauce. This you can achieve by increasing or decreasing the amount of potato puree added till you get a consistency that appeals to you. Tip: The smoothest puree usually settles at the bottom so you may want to use only that (if it is sufficient) and discard the frothy part at the top. Serve with white rice, boiled yam, fried plantain or mashed potatoes.
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Egusi (Melon) Seeds

Description Egusi belongs to the family of water melons. They grow in gourds which are mainly cultivated for their seeds as the flesh is neither sweet nor edible. Egusi seeds are small and flat. One end of the seed is rounded while the other is tapered. After harvest, the gourds are left to ferment; the fermented flesh is then washed off the seeds. The seeds are then dried and the light brown husks removed by hand or mechanically. When ready to be used in food recipes, the white/cream seeds are ground into powder and used as soup thickener. Egusi seeds are in a class of their own and should never be mistaken for pumpkin seeds. Egusi Recipe Egusi, when ground into powder, is the main ingredient in the Nigerian Egusi Soup Recipe. Season Egusi Seeds are available all year round. This is because after it is harvested, it is dried and in this state, it can be stored for a very long time. They are cultivated during the beginning of the rainy season, in the months of April through June and harvested at the onset of the dry season, in the months of October through December. Storage Melon seeds properly stored with the shells can last for very long periods of time. It is best stored in air-tight containers. This is to keep out weevils and moisture. If the melon seeds are shelled, they do not last as long because in this state, it is easier for them to pick up moisture and become mouldy. Ground melon seeds should be used immediately but if stored in very cold temperatures, it can last up to a month and still retain its taste. Buying Guide Egusi (melon) seeds are readily available in the open Nigerian markets or African food stores all over the world. When buying egusi in the open Nigerian markets, you should check for dust. If the seeds are dusty, it means they have been in storage for too long. It is best to buy melon seeds harvested from the year before because this ensures that they are very dry. Newly harvested melon seeds are not the best for preparing Egusi Soup because they are not so dry yet and may cause indigestion. Nutrition Egusi seeds are rich in oil and protein thereby making them a dietary supplement.
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How to cook Ora (Oha) Soup

Ora (Oha) soup is native to the South Eastern Nigeria. It is a very traditional soup similar to the bitterleaf soup but cooked with Ora leaves. Ora (Oha) Soup is special because the tender ora leaves used in preparing this soup recipe are seasonal unlike their bitterleaf counterpart which can be found all year round. How to Cook Ora Soup [Video] Though it is only the vegetable that distinguishes the Ora Soup and the Bitterleaf Soup, they taste so different that it is hard to believe the difference just one ingredient can make in a recipe. Ingredients for Ora (Oha) Soup Vegetable - Ora leaves Cocoyam – 8 small corms Red Palm Oil – 3 cooking spoons Assorted Beef – Includes best cut, shaki (cow tripe) Assorted Fish – Dry Fish and Stock Fish Chilli Pepper, Salt and Crayfish (to taste) 2 Stock cubes 1 teaspoon Ogiri Igbo (for the traditional taste but optional) Before you cook the Nigerian Ora Soup Grind the crayfish and pepper and set aside. pound cocoyam Wash and boil the cocoyam corms till soft. Remove the peels and use a mortar and pestle to pound the corms to a smooth paste. Using your fingers, cut the Ora (Oha) leaves into tiny pieces. This technique is to prevent the vegetable from becoming darker in colour. This happens when you cut the ora leaves with a knife. Cooking Directions Boil the shaki (cow tripe), stock fish and dry fish in 1 litre of water till they are well done. First sign of a done shaki is that the cuts will start curling on itself. Wash the beef and add to the pot of shaki etc. and continue cooking. When the meat is done, add 2 stock cubes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pepper, ogiri Igbo and ground crayfish and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cocoyam paste in small lumps and then the palm oil. Cover the pot and leave to cook on high heat till all the cocoyam lumps have dissolved. You can add more water if you feel that the soup is too thick. Add the ora (oha) leaves and leave to cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and the soup is ready to be served with Eba, Cassava Fufu, Semolina, Amala or Pounded Yam.
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How to Make Agidi or Eko

Nigerian Agidi or Eko is Nigeria's Jello sort of. It is made with corn flour. The process is very similar to how to make Ogi but with a slight difference. Agidi or Eko tastes so good with hot Akara or Pepper Soup. Watch me eat it with Pepper Soup here. What you will need to make Agidi or Eko Corn Flour: 1 cup Cold water: 700mls (approx. 25 fl. oz. ) Preparation If you are in Nigeria you should be able to buy the wet corn starch known as Ogi or Akamu. If you are outside Nigerian then you should be using corn flour. Ensure that the corn flour you buy is very fine. In Europe I can buy the corn flour known as Maizena. I love it because it is very fine and has the sour taste of Ogi or Akamu. This makes it taste as good as the Agidi that is made in Nigeria. Mix the corn starch/flour with the 700 mls of cold water in a pot. Please add water bit by bit because that's the best way to get a good mixture without lumps. If you are using Akamu or Ogi, add water till you get the consistency shown in the video below. Place the pot on the stove and set the heating to medium low. Stir continuously with a wooden spatula. You don't have to stir in one direction. Just make sure you are constantly stirring the mixture. After some time, you will notice the corn starch mixture begin to thicken. Continue stirring because if you stop, lumps will form and you do not want that. If you are stirring continously and lumps are still forming, it means the heat is too much so reduce the heat. When it has completely thickened like Custard, pour some water to the sides of the Agidi, cover the pot and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir well to mix the Agidi with the water. To check that the Agidi is done, put a small quantity into some cold water. If it sets after cooling down then the Agidi is done. Transfer to containers and leave to cool down completely at room temperature. You can also wrap them in Uma leaves to get the classic Agidi shape. Watch me wrap mine in the video below. lol! Serve with hot Akara or piping hot Nigerian Pepper Soup. They are great partners to Agidi.
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Ogbono Soup

Ogbono Soup also known as Draw Soup makes eating Fufu Recipes so easy because of its slimy nature which helps the lumps of fufu slide down. If your kids do not like Okra Soup because of the chunks of Okra, then try Ogbono Soup, they will surely love it. How to Cook Ogbono Soup [Video] Some people like their Ogbono soup plain, with no added vegetables, others would not touch it unless there is some kind of vegetable in it. A third group love their Ogbono Soup with Okra. Some people even go fancy and add Egusi to it. Be sure to check out the following link where you'll find more tips for preparing Ogbono Soup. Ogbono Soup: Frequently Asked Questions Ingredients for Ogbono Soup Assorted Meat and Fish: Beef, Shaki, DryFish, Stock Fish Ogbono Seeds: 2 handfuls Palm Oil: 3 Cooking spoons Vegetable: Frozen Spinach (you can also use Pumpkin leaves or even Bitterleaf) Crayfish: 1 handful Pepper and Salt - To taste 1 medium size Onion 2 Stock cubes (Maggi/Knorr) Before you cook Ogbono Soup Grind the Ogbono with a dry mill. Cut the frozen spinach when it is not completely defrosted. It is easier that way. Then when completely defrosted, squeeze out the excess water. Cook the assorted meat with the stock cubes and onion. If you will use Shaki, remember to start cooking that first, then add beef when almost done. Grind crayfish and pepper. Boil some water and set aside. Cooking Directions for Ogbono Soup Pour the palm oil into a clean dry stainless steel or aluminium pot. Set on the stove and melt the oil at low heat. Remember, only melt the oil, do not allow it to heat up. Once melted, turn off the heat and add the ground Ogbono. Use your cooking spoon to dissolve the Ogbono in the oil. When all the Ogbono powder has completely mixed with the oil, add the meat/fish stock (water from cooking the assorted meat and fish). Set the heat of your cooker to low and start stirring. You will notice the Ogbono start to thicken and draw. Keep stirring till the Ogbono has completely absorbed the meat stock. Add a small quantity of the hot water and stir till the Ogbono has absorbed all the water. Repeat this process till you get a consistency that is shown in the video below. Making sure that your heat is set to low, cover the pot and start cooking. Once it starts to simmer, stir every 2-3 minutes for 20 minutes. So what you'll do is: every 3 minutes or so, open the pot, stir every well, scraping the Ogbono that sticks to the base of the pot, cover the pot and cook for another 3 minutes. After 20 minutes, the Ogbono should be well cooked and you will begin to perceive its nice flavour and aroma. Add the assorted meat and fish, ground crayfish, salt and pepper to taste. The Ogbono may have become thicker from the cooking. If so, add a little bit more water and stir very well. Cover and cook till the contents of the pot is well heated up. If you prefer your Ogbono Soup without vegetables, turn off the heat and serve but if you like to add a vegetable then keep reading :) When the contents of the pot have heated up, add the vegetable (frozen Spinach used in the video). Stir very well, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes and serve with any Fufu recipe. Frequently Asked Questions about Ogbono Soup My Ogbono Soup does not draw. Why? There are 3 main reasons why your Ogbono Soup does not draw. You bought the wrong seeds. There is another seed that looks so much like Ogbono and is sold as Ogbono seeds in Nigerian markets. First sign that you are buying the wrong seeds is if they are too cheap to be true. To confirm that the seeds are really Ogbono seeds: break the seed and rub the broken sides together, if they make a sap that draws, then you've got the real Ogbono seeds. In Nigeria, every open market seller should let you do this "drawing test", if not, please leave their shop and go somewhere else. For those living outside Nigeria, I guess you just have to pray that the Ogbono seeds in the pack you buy are the real thing :) Another reason why your Ogbono Soup does not draw may be because you used packaged ground Ogbono, ground being the keyword here. This is especially the case for those who live outside Nigeria who do not have any choice than to buy the ground packaged Ogbono sold in African shops. Once you grind Ogbono, it starts losing its potency to draw and with time, it won't draw anymore. The exact time at which it completely loses its potency to draw will depend on: how dry the Ogbono was before the grinding took place and how well it is packaged amongst other things. The third reason why your Ogbono Soup does not draw is that you fried it before adding the meat/fish stock. The ground Ogbono should only be dissolved in the palm oil NOT fried. The more you fry it, the more it loses its drawing ability till you've got no potency left. This happens even if it is the authentic Ogbono seed. How can I cook Ogbono Soup so that it does not burn? First, turn down the heat. Whatever you are cooking, turn down the heat to prevent burning. This is especially the case with Ogbono Soup which is very sticky. Always cook your Ogbono Soup at very low heat. If your cooker's heating ranges from 1 to 9, set the heat to 4. Secondly, do not add crayfish or any other ingredients when cooking the Ogbono at first. Crayfish especially speeds up the burning. When you grind your Ogbono in Nigerian markets, they will tell you to use crayfish to make sure all the Ogbono comes out of the mill. If you decide to do that, make sure that they put the crayfish and that last bit of Ogbono in a different plastic bag for you and add the crayfish bit when you add the rest of the ingredients. Also, use stainless steel or aluminium pots in cooking your Ogbono Soup. Non-stick pots are not the best for cooking Ogbono Soup even though it says non-stick lol! My Ogbono Soup tastes bland in spite of all the ingredients I usually add to it. Why is this? One reason Ogbono Soup will taste bland even after adding enough ingredients is that you did not cook it long enough. I have seen a lot of people cook Ogbono for only 5 minutes. That's not enough. Ogbono, once added, should be cooked for at least 20 minutes on low heat. This is the time at which the taste begins to come out and blend with the ingredients. Another reason is maybe because the Ogbono seeds have gone mouldy in which case, it will have a slightly bitter taste too.
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How to Make Dry Bitter Leaves Fresh

This procedure details how to make washed and dried bitter leaves soft so it will be like freshly washed leaves suitable for preparing Bitterleaf Soup. The process will also remove the bitterness from the bitter leaves. Sometimes you can't help but miss motherland where you had access to freshly washed bitter leaves. The dry leaves make your Bitterleaf Soup taste like cardboard, right? Your nightmare is over when you learn these easy steps. You will need: Dry Bitter Leaves Food Tenderiser (Akanwu) Water Plastic Bags Sieve Big Pot Stove/Cooker Procedure Wash the dry bitter leaves and place in a plastic bag. Use several bags if you are tenderising a large quantity as this enables the leaves to soften faster. The job of the plastic bag is to create pressure around the dry bitter leaves during the cooking process. A titanium plastic bag without holes works best for this purpose. Titanium so that it can withstand the heat and having no holes will make it airtight. The more airtight it is, the faster the dry bitter leaves will soften. Spread powdered food tenderiser (akanwu) on the bitter leaves and ruffle the bag to distribute well. Tie the handles of the bag(s) in such a way that the bag(s) are air-tight. Place in a big pot, pour some water and start cooking. Leave to boil for about 1 hour, turn off the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the bitter leaves into a bowl, pour cold water and start washing, rubbing the leaves together just as when handwashing a cloth. This is to remove all traces of bitterness and the tenderiser as much as possible. At first the water will be as dark as Guinness Stout® so change the water often till you have clean leaves with as little foam as possible. When you feel that the bitter leaves have been thoroughly washed, squeeze the leaves to remove as much water as possible. Place in plastic bags or containers and store in the freezer for future use. It is advisable to boil considerable quantities at a time so that it will last you a while. This saves the cooking time whenever you want to prepare Bitterleaf Soup.
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How to Cook Nigerian Egusi Soup

The Nigerian Egusi soup, prepared with melon seeds, is native to the southern part of Nigeria - Igbos and Yorubas. Nigerian Egusi Soup Recipe [Video] Egusi soup is also one of the most popular soups for all Nigerians and non-Nigerians that like Nigerian fufu recipes. It is known as Miyan Gushi in Hausa. Ingredients Egusi (Melon) seeds - 3 cigar cups | 600g Red Palm Oil – 2 cooking spoons Beef – Best cut and Shaki (cow tripe) Fish – Dry Fish and Stock Fish Crayfish Pepper and Salt to taste Vegetable – Pumpkin leaves or Bitter leaf Seasoning – 3 Maggi or Knorr cubes Traditional Seasoning – 1 Okpei (optional) Tools I used Cooker: Buy it in USA | in UK Deep Pot: Buy it in USA | in UK Spice grinder for grinding egusi (melon) seeds: Buy it in USA | in UK Spatula: Buy it in USA | in UK Chopping board: Buy it in USA | in UK Knives: Buy it in USA | in UK Before you cook Egusi Soup Before preparing the soup, soak the dry fish for about half an hour. Boil the stockfish for 20 minutes and leave in the pot with the hot water to soak for about an hour. Much closer to your cooking time, grind the Egusi with a dry mill. Grind the crayfish and the dry pepper separately and set aside. Wash the vegetable to be used. Cut into tiny pieces. Boil the shaki, stock fish and dry fish in 1 litre of water till they are well done. First sign of a done shaki is that the cuts will start curling on itself. Wash the beef to be used for the soup and place in a pot and start steaming at medium heat. There is no need to add water at this stage. When the meat is done, add 3 cubes of Maggi/Knorr. This method makes the meat cook faster while retaining all the taste. Also meat contains lots of water and you will notice that the water content increases as the meat starts to boil. Cooking Directions There are two main methods of cooking egusi soup. These we will call oil before egusi and egusi before oil. Confusing? Not. Oil Before Egusi Put 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil into a dry pot and set on the stove to heat. As soon as the oil is clearer, add the ground egusi and start frying. This should be done at low heat to avoid burning. Keep frying till you see the egusi getting drier. One sign of this is that it will start sticking to the bottom of the pot. Now, start adding the shaki/fish stock little by little while still turning the egusi. When the stock is exhausted and you feel that the soup is still too thick, you can add more water. If your choice of vegetable is bitterleaf, it should be added now as well. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. The egusi is done when you notice that the oil has risen to the surface of the mix and separated from the mix. If this is the case, add the fish, shaki and meat. Also add pepper and salt to taste. If pumpkin leaves (or any other soft vegetable) is your choice, please add it now. Cover the pot and leave everything to steam together for 5 minutes. The egusi soup is ready to be served with amala, Eba (garri), pounded yam or cassava fufu. Egusi Before Oil This method produces a healthier egusi soup. This is because there is no frying involved. In this method, as soon as the shaki, fish and meat are done, remove them from the stock (water used in cooking the meat and fish) and place in a different pot or plate. Add the ground egusi to the stock and stir. If the stock from cooking your meat and fish is small, add some water to the same level as the egusi. Cover and cook till the egusi cakes. Stir and add a little bit more water. watch it closely so that it does not burn. Repeat step 3, adding only a small quantity of water at a time. After about 25 minutes, you will notice the clear egusi oil coming to the surface of the soup. Add 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil and bitter leaves (if it is your choice of vegetable), pepper and salt to taste and cook for about 7 minutes. Add the the meat and fish. If using pumpkin leaves or any other soft vegetable, add it at this time, stir the soup and leave to simmer for 2 minutes maximum. Turn off the heat. Leave to stand for 2 minutes before serving. The egusi soup is ready to be served with Eba (Garri), Agidi, Amala, Semolina, Tuwo Shinkafa, Pounded Yam or Cassava Fufu.
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