Ogbono Soup is also known as draw soup, while some people like it without vegetables others do and another group love it with okra. Most children also like it plain.
Ingredients
•Assorted Meat and Fish: Beef, Shaki, DryFish, Stock Fish
•Ogbono Seeds
•Palm Oil
•Vegetable: Frozen Spinach (you can also use Pumpkin leaves or even Bitterleaf)
•Crayfish
•Pepper and Salt – To taste
• Onion
•2 Stock cubes
Before you cook Ogbono Soup
Grind the Ogbono with a dry mill
Cut the frozen spinach when it is not completely defrosted. It is easier that way. Then when completely defrosted, squeeze out the excess water
Cook the assorted meat with the stock cubes and onion. If you are using Shaki, remember to start cooking that first, and then add beef when almost done
Grind crayfish and pepper
Boil some water and set aside
Method
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 and do not allow it to heat up
Once melted, turn off the heat and add the ground Ogbono
Use your cooking spoon to dissolve the Ogbono in the oil
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
Keep stirring till the Ogbono has completely absorbed the meat stock
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 you want.
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.
After 20 minutes, the Ogbono should be well cooked and you will begin to perceive its nice flavour and aroma.
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
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 🙂
When the contents of the pot have heated up, add the vegetable. Stir very well, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes and serve with any swallow of your choice.
