Nigerian · 1 hr · serves 4

Ogbono Soup

Kept by The Bhook kitchen

Ingredients

• 80 g ground ogbono seeds
• 500 g assorted meat (beef, cow tripe, or goat), cut bite-sized
• 500 ml water
• 1 small dried fish or 100 g stockfish
• 2 tbsp palm oil
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp ground crayfish
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 stock cube
• 150 g washed spinach or ugu leaves
• salt

Method

1. Put meat, half the onion (sliced), pepper, stock cube and some salt in a pot. Cover with 300 ml water. Boil gently for 25 min until the meat is just tender.
2. Add washed dried fish or stockfish. Simmer 10 min more so the fish softens.
3. In a small bowl, mix ground ogbono with palm oil to form a loose paste.
4. Lower heat. Stir the ogbono paste into the pot. Stir continuously for 5 min: it should thicken and become a little stretchy.
5. Add more water if it's too thick. Sprinkle in ground crayfish. Simmer gently 10 min; tiny pools of oil should form on top.
6. Quickly stir in chopped spinach or ugu. Cook 2–3 min, till the leaves wilt but stay green. Taste and adjust salt.

Ogbono gets slimy if overheated: always stir gently and keep the heat low after adding it.