Okra can be cooked on its own just like ogbono. I prefer to cook okra with ogbono because they complement each other. When you cook okra with ogbono, it gives the soup that drawing effect that is not there when okra is cooked by itself, the chewing okra you feel when eating the soup is not there when you cook ogbono alone.
Okra also known as lady's finger is one of the nutritious vegetables of Nigeria. Okra is rich in dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins. It is often recommended by nutritionists in choloesterrol controlling and weight management,
Ogbono is the seed of African wild mango tree. It is protain rich and when grounded and added to okra soup, it acts as a thickener.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup grounded ogbono
30 medium sized okra
4 table spoon of olive oil, or palm oil, (I prefer Olive Oil)
1 table spoon grounded dry pepper
1 table spoon locust beans (evbarie in Edo, Iru in Yoruba)
2 bouillon cubes (I use one knoor cube)
A hand full vegetable of choice (Spinach, Kale, Ugu, Greens)
500g Beef, six small pieces of ponmo about 2 inches each,
1 small Stock Fish cut into five pieces
2 medium size dry smoked fish of choice
1/2 cup grounded Cray Fish (sun dried shrimps)
Salt to taste
DIRECTION:
Ground the ogbono with a dry blender
Wash the beef, cut it up into pieces of 2 inches each, boil and set the stock aside
Wash the stock fish thoroughly making sure there are no insects
If the stock Fish is cod and very dry, you can boil it until it is soft or soak it in water for about 2 hours before adding it to the soup.
Wash the ponmo
Wash and debone the dry fish
Wash and cut up the okra, grate and set aside
Heat the oil in a pot. When the oil is hot add the ogbono
Stir until it dissolves. Mix the dry pepper in the beef stock and add to this.
As it starts to heat up, add the stock fish, knoor cube, crayfish, the cleaned dried smoked fish, boiled beef, locust beans and the ponmo. If the soup is tick add a little water for your desired consitency.
Allow to cook for about 25 minutes while stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning.
When the ogbono is cooked, add the grated okra and vegetables.
Allow to simmer for about 5 to 8 minutes. Add salt to taste. Your soup is ready to be served.
This soup can be served with Pounded yam, Eba, Semovita, Amala, I serve this soup on my brown rice and is delicious.