SOUP RECIPES (OKRA VEGETABLE SOUP)

Okra Soup is one of the quickest and easiest soups to prepare. Most homes complain about the work involved in the cutting of the two vegetables used in preparing this soup. Once the vegetables are ready,  it cooks in no time at all. Hausa’s called this soup  Miyan Kubew.

Ingredients

• 250g Okra
• 3 cooking spoons red palm oil
• Red meat (Beef) or Goat meat                                     
•  Shaki (cow tripe) Optional                                               
  
• Fish: Iced Fish (Mackerel/Titus), Dry Fish, Stock Fish
• 1 handful crayfish
• Pepper and Salt (to taste)
• Onions (optional)
• Vegetable: (Ugu)  pumpkin leaves or spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 3 stock cubes

Before you cook Okra Soup

1.      Before preparing the soup, boil the stockfish for 20 minutes and leave in the pot with the hot water to soak.

2.     Wash the pumpkin leaves, if it is your choice of vegetable, and cut into tiny pieces. If you will use frozen spinach, defrost and cut into tiny pieces.

3.     Cut the okra fingers into tiny pieces. The tinier you cut the okra, the more it will draw. To achieve this, you need to make a few vertical cuts followed by horizontal cuts on the okra fingers.

4.     Grind the crayfish and the dry pepper.

Cooking Directions                                          

  1.     If you will use shaki (cow tripe) for the soup, wash and boil till it is done. Add water sparingly because this soup needs to be thick. Add the soaked stockfish and dry fish to the cooked shaki. The length of time it will take to cook shaki depends on the cooking appliance utilized. You can take a bite to confirm this.

2.     When you are satisfied that the shaki and stock fish are well-done, add the beef, onions and stock cubes and cook till done. Then add the iced fish and cook till done.

3.     Pour red palm oil in another pot and heat the pot to dissolve the oil if it is congealed. Add the diced okra and start frying to kick-start the drawing process, add some meat stock from time to time till you notice the okra start to draw. This process should take a maximum of 4 mins to avoid over-cooking the okra.

4.      Add the vegetable and stir well. Add all the meat and fish, crayfish, pepper and salt to taste. Then stir well.

5.     Cover the cooking pot and leave to simmer and it is ready to be served.

You must not use Stock Fish, Shaki, Meat, Iced Fish (Mackerel/Titus) and Dry Fish to prepare the okra soup, all at the same time. But if you can afford it, no problem.

Serve with Cassava fufu, Amala, Tuwo Shinkafa, Pounded Yam and Eba (Garri)