Nigeria – Ora Soup

by Verdzekov Bernard

This is meal common to the people of the eastern part of Nigeria. Nigeria is a very big state. In that state they are a lot of tribes like the Igbo’s, Yoruba, Hausa etc. This tribes have their meals the prepare that is common to them. The meal could be eating in the whole of Nigeria, but its origin could just be from one small part of Nigeria. Prepare this meal, I will like to draw your attention towards one point. When you about cooking, you are going to use your hands to cut the Oral. This is traditional. If you want to prepare the leaves, when they are still green, use your hands and not a knife. They say “using a knife to cut the knife will cause the leaves to become dark”. If there is another reason, I don’t think I know but this is all I know. Preparing this soup, you will still use cocoyam’s. This cocoyam’s helps to act as a thickener for your soup. So, if you don’t have cocoyam’s flour use boiled cocoyam’s after pawning it well.

Ingredients

• Ora leaves
• Maggi
• Beef (cow trip) 
• Salt to taste 
• 2 cocoyam (serve as thickener)
• Palm oil 
• Dry fish
• Stock fish 
• Cray fish 
• Pepper 

Cooking Process

• Most at times I have written about cuisines that have main ingredients that have just traditional names with no alternatives. If you want to prepare such a meal that has a name of a traditional ingredient, just google search. Most the names of this traditionally called ingredients are explained on google and could help determine the leave easier 
• Peel your cocoyam, wash and boil. When it is soft, smash using a mortar and pestle until it is smooth.
• Grind your crayfish.
• You will use your hands to cut the ora leaves. This is traditional. 
• Cut your fish, clean off bile and keep aside. Wash your dry fish, shred and keep aside.
• Wash your meat well and boil with chopped onions and salt to taste.
• Heat your oil. Fry your onions and pepper add meat stock allow it to boil. Add your meat, dry fish and stock fish. Allow for about 7min let it boil well. Add your cray fish and stir well. Add your Ora leaves and stir. Allow it to boil for about 7min. 
• Add your cocoyam and stir well. Add some meat stock. Stir well. Add salt to taste and maggi. Stir well and cover pot. Allow pot for about 15-20min. Remove and serve with fufu.

Enjoy…