Akwukworo Oho (Ora soup)

Name: Akwukworo Oho (Ora soup)
Yield: serves 5 persons
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: Protein: Meat, roast fish, stockfish (These are the ones I used for this particular dish. You can use any and every other protein that pleases you); Soup thickner. I used cocoyam. approximately. 11 pieces of the specie used for soup (ede ofe). Other types of thickners like achi, offor or akparata can be used; 1 bunch Akwukworo oho (Ora leaves); 15 leaves Uziza leaves; 1 tsp Ogiri; 1/2 cup Palm oil; to taste pepper,; to taste Salt,; Maggi, to tase; 1/4 cup Crayfish; Water (of course!)

Sallie @EBsallie

Abuja

I am from Umuebere Nkuma, Eluama, Isuikwuato of Abia State.
Akwukworo Oho (A.K.A, Ora leaves) is our staple local delicacy. It is such a staple that there must be at least, one ora tree in every compound. I was told that back in the day, no one sold the leaf.
I learnt the real name of this vegetable the hard (read funny) way.
So, my grand mother sends my cousin and I to go get her ora leaves (forgetting to tell us the local name). We walked all through the lenghth and breadth of Umuebere Nkuma, asking people for 'Ora'. Even the people who had it said that they didn't. Thank goodness for another 'Tansip' (township) person who overheard our quest and graciously helped out.
I learnt how to make this soup that day, under the tutelage of my grand mother, my mum and two aunties.

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Ingredients

serves 5 persons

Protein: Meat, roast fish, stockfish (These are the ones I used for this particular dish. You can use any and every other protein that pleases you)
Soup thickner. I used cocoyam. approximately. 11 pieces of the specie used for soup (ede ofe). Other types of thickners like achi, offor or akparata can be used
1 bunchAkwukworo oho (Ora leaves)
15 leavesUziza leaves
1 tspOgiri
1/2 cupPalm oil
to tastepepper,
to tasteSalt,
Maggi, to tase
1/4 cupCrayfish
Water (of course!)

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Steps

1

Wash the meat and place in an empty pot on a burner, allowing it to stew in its juice.
2

When the juice dries up, add water to level with the meat and add salt, maggi and pepper
3

Soak the stock fish in water. wash the roast fish and de-bone it.
4

While waiting for the meat to tenderize, wash and put the cocoyam to boil
5

When the meat is tender, remove the stock fish from the water and add to the pot. Add the roast fish also, and allow to boil.
6

The cocoyam is ready when a slight prod with a fork pierces its skin. Bring it down from the burner then, and proceed to remove the brown epicarp. Try not to burn yourself, as this has to be done while it's still hot. You can have a bowl of cold water close by to cool your fingers while you do this.
7

Place the peeled cocoyam in a motar and pound, or, if you have a food processor, blend.
8

When the cocoyam is properly pounded or blended, scoop it into a bowl, add the oil and mix properly
9

Remove the fish from the pot to avoid smashing while you stir the soup.
10

Ensure that the stock in the pot is approximately two cups. If it isn't, please, bring it up by adding more water. Note that if you add more water, you should let it boil before proceeding to the next step.
11

Scoop the cocoyam into the pot in dollops with a table spoon. Cover the pot and let boil until the cocoyam is almost dissolved.
12

While it boils, pluck and shred the ora leaves with your fingers. (Do not cut with a knife, please). Pluck the uziza leaves too and shred with a knife.
13

When the cocoyam dollops are almost dissolved in the pot, stir the soup and add crayfish and ogiri. Then, adjust for taste (salt and pepper) and thickness.
14

Add the leaves together, and cover the pot for three minutes.
15

Add back the fish, stir and remove the pot from the burner.
16

Your akwukworo oho is ready to eat! Pair it with eba, or, if you want the Umuebere Nkuma experience, with Utara (foo foo)