Ofe owerri is a popular Igbo soup indigenous to the people of Owerri, Nigeria. It is made from either ugu or okazi vegetables. Many different recipes and variations are possible.
Ingredients
- 1 kg assorted meat (beef, goat, cow tripe, etc.)
- 4–6 seasoning cubes
- 3–4 cups water
- 500 g dryfish, smoked fish, or stockfish
- 1 cup cocoyam paste
- 1 cup palm oil
- 3 tablespoons ground crayfish
- 2 tablespoons ogiri (fermented melon seed paste)
- Fresh bell pepper or chile pepper
- 1 cup okazi or uziza leaves, thinly sliced
- 2 cups ugu leaves, chopped
Equipment
- Cooking pot
- Sieve
- Stirring spoon
- Kitchen knife
- Chopping board
- Bowls
- Mortar and pestle
Procedure
- Clean the meats and dryfish, and cut into pieces.
- Simmer the meat with seasoning cubes and water in a pot until tender. Add stockfish and dried fish.
- Stir in the cocoyam paste to thicken the soup, making sure it’s well incorporated.
- Stir in the palm oil, crayfish, ogiri, and pepper. Simmer for 5–10 minutes.
- Add okazi leaves, and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Stir in ugu leaves, and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with pounded yam or fufu.