HOW TO COOK ORA (OHA) SOUP
Ora (Oha) soup is native to the South
Eastern Nigeria. It is a traditional as soup to 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.
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 3 People)
- Use hands to cut the ora to avoid it from becoming bitter
- 14 small corms Cocoyam
- 3 cooking spoons Red Palm Oil
- Assorted Beef: Includes best cut, shaki and cow tail)
- Assorted Fish: Dry Fish and Stock Fish
- Pepper, salt and ground crayfish (to taste)
- 3 stock cubes
- 1 teaspoon Ogiri Igbo (traditional seasoning)
Notes about the ingredients:
- Ora (Oha) is a unique vegetable hence does not have a good alternative
- If you cannot buy cocoyam corms where you live, you can use cocoyam flour. An alternative to cocoyam flour is potato flour.
- The Ogiri Igbo gives the ora Soup a traditional taste.
- Onions is not used in cooking ora soup so as not to change the ogiri taste.
Before you cook Ora (Oha) Soup
- Use an ordinary hand to cut the ora not knife to avoid it from becoming bitter or changing colour.
Cook the cocoyam till
soft. Remove the peels and use a mortar and pestle to pound the corms to a
smooth paste or you can grind it.
Cooking Directions
- Boil the shaki and cow tail, stock fish in a little water till they are well done.
- Wash the beef meat, dried fish and add to the pot of cow tail, shaki etc. add 3 cubes of Maggi/Knorr and continue cooking until the meat is done.
3.
Add
pepper, ground crayfish. Then add the cocoyam paste (in small lumps) and the
palm oil. 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.
- Then add ora leave.
- Add salt to taste and the soup is ready.
NOTE: Ora leave is the last thing you will
add in the pot because the leae is very tender and does not need much cooking.
Serve with Garri
(Eba), Semolina Fufu, Amala, Cassava Fufu or Pounded Yam.
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