Marugbo (Eweta) Soup

 How to Prepare  Marugbo (Eweta) Soup

Ondo kare o, Ikale Kare!!! This right here is THE soup of the Ondo people (Western Nigeria) ; I posted the teaser picture last year and it instantly achieved a viral status.

Obe Marugbo is traditionally prepared with a combination of two leaves. Marugbo (Botanical name : Clerodendrum volubile ) being the primary leaf. Iteji, efinrin, akintola, lapalapa, epojebu, ekikan or iseketu is also added. Leaf combinations often differ based on personal preference.The leaves are seldom used fresh; they are typically used after being completely sun dried, this is what gives the soup a very dark green to black coloring. Due to the concentration of vegetables in the soup, marugbo soup has a laxative effect on the body; this is why the soup is said to be medicinal.

In the absence of marugbo leaves, dried Efirin (African Basil) can be used as the primary vegetable.

The process of cooking the soup itself is very similar to other vegetable based Nigerian soup like black soup and afang. A earthy broth of fresh fish is prepared and the pureed vegetable is added to thicken the broth. Since the vegetables are dried before being pureed, the broth is quickly thickened as the vegetables absorb water.

Marugbo is traditionally served with pupuru (smoked cassava flour) or fresh pounded yam.

 

Marugbo ( Eweta) Soup

Author: UniqueNK 

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 8

Traditionally this soup is prepared with fresh fish and served with pupuru. I made use of a combination of meat and fish which is a personal preference.

Ingredients

• Cubed Goat meat (2 cups)
• Shredded panla (2 handfuls)
• Shredded Smoked Fish (2 cups)
• Crayfish powder (3 tablespoons)
• Dried marugbo leaf (3 cups)
• Dried Efirin leaf (1 cup)
• Thumb size fresh ginger
• 1 small white onion
• 1-2 Fresh hot pepper (ata-rodo)
• 1/4 cup of palm oil
• Salt to taste
• Maggi (2 cubes)
• Other meat & Fish (to taste)

Instructions

1. Combine goat with 2-3 cups of water in a large pot. Add in panla, 2 maggi cube, salt . Simmer on medium heat until meat is very tender.
2. Add more water to cover the cooked beef. Add in crayfish powder, smoked fish and palm oil. Stir. 
3. Cover the pot and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir the broth. Taste and adjust for seasoning. 
4. Blend the dried vegetables with ginger, onion, hot pepper and 3-4 cups of water until smooth.
5. Add blended vegetables into the cooked broth. Stir. Taste and adjust for seasoning and water. 
6. Simmer uncovered for another 12 – 15 minutes.
7. Serve with your choice of Pupuru, Garri or pounded yam.

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Efo Elewuro (Yoruba Style Bitter Leaf Soup)

How To Prepare Efo Elewuro (Yoruba style Bitterleaf Soup)

I made some traditional Yoruba Efo Eluwuro complete with Eja gbigbe, Iru and ese Eran.

Ingredients:

Part A

• 4 Red bell peppers (Tatashe)
• 1 medium onion bulb
• 2-3 Scotch Bonnet (Ata Rodo)

Preparation: Combine all of Part A in a blender. Puree until almost smooth. Pour the mixture into a pot, place on medium heat and boil until mixture is half its original size (this is to remove excess water)

Part B  

• 2/3 cup of palm oil
• 1 medium onion bulb (thinly sliced)
• 2 Tablespoon blended crayfish
• 2 cups shredded fish (dried Catfish preferably) Washed and de-boned
• Parboiled cow feet  6-8 pieces
• 3 tablespoons whole locust beans (Iru)
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup red prawns
• 2-3 cubes maggi

Part C

• 3 cups thoroughly washed Bitter leaves  (Ewuro)
• 2 cups prepared spinach (Efo Tete)

Spinach Preparation: place the spinach in a bowl, add ½ teaspoon of salt, cover with boiling water and place a lid over the bowl. Allow to rest for 15-20mins.  Rinse out the spinach and squeeze out all excess water.

Directions:

• Place a large pot over medium heat, add in the palm oil. Bleach the oil for 5 minutes.
• Add in the sliced onions and fry until golden brown
• Add in the end result of part A and the left over ingredients in part B.  Cover and leave to simmer for 20-25 minutes (The palm oil will float to the top when the sauce is ready).
• Add in bitter leaves and spinach, combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning, leave to simmer for another 10 minutes

Serve the Soup with garri or pounded yam. Enjoy!

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OFE OWERRI

How to Prepare OFE OWERRI 

         Ofe Owerri is one of the most expensive Nigerian soups; it is made with assorted meat (which is different parts of cow meat), snails, dried fish and stock fish.

I think you would spend between 4000-10000 Naira if you are looking to make a delicious pot of this soup, there is even a popular Igbo song that suggest that a poor man does not eat ofe owerri. 😀

Ofe owerri simply means Owerri soup (soup indigenous to the people of Owerri). I used to think that I would never make another soup that would comfortably compete with the likes of nsala and oha but this sure takes the cake.

                     INGREDIENTS

- 1 kg assorted meats

- 2 medium size stockfish

- 2 medium dried fish(Asa)

- 1 tablespoon grounded pepper

- 2 tablespoon ground crayfish

- 2 cups Ukazi leaves (shredded)

- 2 small bunch ugwu

- 2 cups smoked prawns

- 1 small bulb onion

- 4 medium size cocoyam (red type)

- 2 cooking spoon palm oil

- 2 litres stock or water

- 2 maggi cubes 

- salt to taste

             COOKING DIRECTIONS

Pick, wash and shred the Ugwu leaves as well as the Ukazi leaves.(This can be done in the market)

Wash the meat thoroughly and place in a large pot. Season with salt,onion and ground pepper, add some water and cook for 10minutes or allow steaming till juice dries up.

Add 2 cups of water and the stockfish continue cooking till the stockfish is soft and the meat cooked. Wash and debone smoked fish and then dress and wash the smoked prawns. Add the fish and prawns to the meat pot and add the remaining water and cook for I0 minutes.

Peel and wash cocoyam, cut each into two pieces then add to the pot continue cooking until tender. Remove the cooked cocoyam and pound. Mould the pounded cocoyam into small balls and add to soup as a thickener. 

Stir in the crayfish,pepper, maggi cubes and palm oil. Stir thoroughly and reduce the heat. 

Add the shredded Ugwu and Ukazi leaves, stir and allow cooking for about 6 minutes. Stir and add salt to taste.

Remove from heat and serve hot with cassava fufu or pounded yam.♨♨♨

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OFE - UJUJU

How to prepare OFE - UJUJU

       Ujuju soup has its origins in the Igbo speaking part of Delta State, Nigeria. This soup is very easy to make, the only hard thing about this recipe is the leaves itself. The leaves may be a little hard to find if you don’t live in the region and the leaves cannot be substituted with another vegetable, otherwise it won’t be Ujuju Soup anymore.. ☺

              INGREDIENTS

- 1½kg Bush meat

- 1 medium size Smoked fish

- 1 medium bunch Ujuju leaves

- 1 tablespoon Dried Pepper (ground)

- 3 cooking spoons Palm oil

- 2 Maggi Cubes

- 1½ litres Water

- Salt to taste.

                 COOKING DIRECTION

1). Scrub the bush meat and smoked fish with salt to remove sand.Soak in hot water for 5 minutes. Wash and debone the fish.Cut and wash the meat, add salt, Maggi cubes and chopped onion and steam for about 15 minutes till soft.

2). Pick the tender Ujuju leaves and remove the mid rib from all the leaves. Wash thoroughly and boil for about 10 minutes, strain and pound with or without oil (or blend or grind) to a smooth paste. Set aside.

3). Pour water into the pot, add the washed bush meat, smoked fish, pepper, Maggi, Crayfish stir and allow boiling for 10 minutes.

4). Add some oil and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Stir and add the ground Ujuju leaves. Whisk to increase resilience.Keep pot open and simmer for few minutes and add salt to taste.

5). Serve with boiled white rice or pounded yam or eba. ♨♨♨

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