CATERING

 PREPARING 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.

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.

Ingredients for Ogbono Soup

• Assorted Meat and Fish: Beef, Shaki, Dry Fish, Stock Fish
• 2 handfuls Ogbono Seeds
• 3 cooking spoons red palm oil
• Vegetable: Frozen Spinach (you can also use Pumpkin leaves or even Bitterleaf)
• 1 handful crayfish
• Pepper and Salt (To taste)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 stock cubes (Maggi/Knorr)

Before you cook Ogbono Soup

1.     Grind the Ogbono with a dry mill.

2.     Cut the frozen spinach when it is not completely defrosted. It is easier that way. Then when completely defrosted, squeeze out the excess water.

3.     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.

4.     Grind crayfish and pepper.

5.     Boil some water and set aside.

Cooking Directions for Ogbono Soup

1.     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.

2.     Once melted, turn off the heat and add the ground Ogbono.

3.     Use your cooking spoon to dissolve the Ogbono in the oil.

4.     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.

5.     Keep stirring till the Ogbono has completely absorbed the meat stock.

6.     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.

7.     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.

8.     After 20 minutes, the Ogbono should be well cooked and you will begin to perceive its nice flavour and aroma.

9.     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.

10.     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 :)

11.     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.

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 PREPARING OHA (ORA) 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]

How to Cook Ora Soup with Cocoyam Flour [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
• 8 small corms cocoyam
• 3 cooking spoons Red Palm Oil
• 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

Notes about the ingredients:

1.     Ora (Oha) is a unique vegetable hence does not have a good alternative.

2.     If you cannot buy cocoyam corms where you live, you can use cocoyam flour. An alternative to cocoyam flour is potato flour. See how to prepare the cocoyam flour or potato flour before adding it to your soup at: How to Cook Nigerian Soups with Flour as Thickener.

3.     Ogiri Igbo is optional, it gives Ora Soup a traditional taste.

Before you cook the Nigerian Ora Soup

1.     Grind the crayfish and pepper and set aside.

2.     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.

3.     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

1.     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.

2.     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.

3.     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.

4.     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.

5.     Add the ora (oha) leaves and leave to cook for about 5 minutes.

6.     Add salt to taste, stir and the soup is ready!