Unlocking Edo's Peppered Stew Aroma Secrets

Edo cuisine is a delicious exploration of Nigerian food. One of the most popular dishes is the black soup, a tasty and easy-to-prepare delicacy. The soup gets its distinct dark colour from ground leaves, specifically from blending bitter leaves, uziza leaves, and scent leaves. The ground leaves also act as a thickening agent. The soup is typically served with eba, fufu, or semo. Another popular dish is the melon seed soup, which is cooked in earthenware pots and served with boiled yam or plantain. Edo cuisine also includes the famous Egusi soup, which is thickened with crushed melon seeds and often includes a variety of green vegetables such as bitter leaf, Amaranth leaves, and water leaves.

Wash and boil meat with onions, seasoning cubes, and salt

To get the perfect Edo peppered stew aroma, you must start with the right ingredients and follow a few simple steps. Here's a detailed guide:

Wash and Boil the Meat:

• Start by washing your desired cut of meat under cold water to remove any visible fat or impurities. You can leave a bit of fat on the meat, as it adds flavour to the dish.
• Place the washed meat in a clean pot and add just enough water to barely cover the meat. Too much water will dilute the flavour.
• Chop one medium-sized red or yellow onion and add it to the pot. Onions form a crucial base for the aroma of the stew.
• Add your desired seasoning cubes. Bouillon cubes, also known as stock or broth cubes, are a great option. They are made from dehydrated meat and/or vegetables, MSG, salt, and various seasonings. You can use chicken, beef, or vegetable cubes, depending on your preference.
• Season with salt to taste. As a rule of thumb, start with 1 teaspoon of salt for every kilogram of meat. You can adjust the seasoning later if needed.
• Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Stir the contents of the pot to combine all the ingredients.
• Cover the pot with a lid and let the meat simmer for about 10 minutes. This helps the meat absorb the flavours of the onions and seasonings.
• After 10 minutes, check on the meat and add another cup of water. Stir well and continue cooking until the meat is tender to your liking. Depending on the cut and size of the meat, this can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or more.

Remember, the key to a delicious Edo peppered stew is in the aroma, so take your time with this step and ensure the meat is infused with the flavours of the onions and seasonings. Once the meat is tender, you can proceed to the next steps of making your stew, adding your desired vegetables, spices, and other ingredients.

Add dry fish, stockfish, crayfish, and palm fruit sauce

To make an Edo black soup, you'll need to prepare the banga sauce (palm fruit sauce) first. Start by buying 6 cups of banga (palm fruit) and boiling them for 15 minutes. Next, pound the boiled palm fruit with a mortar and pestle, add water, and filter to obtain the sauce. Wash and filter again to get 4 cups of thick banga sauce, and set it aside.

Now, for the black soup, start by grinding the leaves. Wash 2 cups of bitter leaves, half a cup of scent leaves, and 2 cups of uziza leaves. Grind the bitter leaves separately, and the uziza and scent leaves together.

Season and precook 1 kg of assorted meat with half a cup of onions, 1 seasoning cube, and a pinch of salt. Cook the meat for 30-45 minutes, or until it becomes soft and easily chewable. You can add a little water to prevent it from burning.

Add the washed dry fish, stockfish, crayfish, and the banga sauce. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the soup thickens.

Finally, add the ground leaves, 2 seasoning cubes, and salt to taste. Allow the soup to simmer for 5 minutes, and it's ready to be served!

Cook until soupy mixture thickens

To get the Edo peppered stew aroma, you must cook the stew until the soupy mixture thickens. This is a crucial step in developing the rich and hearty texture that characterises Edo stews. Here's a detailed guide on how to achieve this:

Cooking Techniques for a Thick and Aromatic Stew:

• Use a Clean Pot: Start by ensuring you have a clean and dry pot ready for cooking. This provides a good base for the stew and prevents any unwanted flavours from affecting the final dish.
• Prepare the Ingredients: Gather and prepare all the ingredients needed for the stew. This includes items such as meat, fish, vegetables, spices, and leaves. Having everything ready beforehand ensures a smooth cooking process.
• Meat Preparation: Wash and season the meat with salt and other preferred spices. Place the meat in a pot with sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Add a small amount of water or stock to prevent burning. Cook the meat until it is soft and easily chewable, typically for 30-45 minutes.
• Add Dried and Smoked Fish: Once the meat is cooked, add the dried fish and stockfish to the pot. Cook this mixture for an additional 10-15 minutes. This step adds depth of flavour to the stew.
• Include the Crayfish and Palm Fruit Sauce: The crayfish and palm fruit sauce are essential ingredients in Edo cuisine. Add these to the pot and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. The palm fruit sauce, also known as "banga sauce," acts as a thickening agent and contributes to the distinctive colour of the stew.
• Stir and Simmer: After adding the ground leaves, stir the stew thoroughly. Add the remaining seasoning cubes and salt to taste. Allow the stew to simmer for an additional five minutes. This step ensures that all the flavours meld together harmoniously.
• Observe the Thickening: Keep an eye on the stew as it cooks. You'll notice that the soupy mixture will gradually thicken. This is a sign that the stew is reaching the desired consistency.
• Adjust Consistency: If the stew becomes too thick, you can add a small amount of water or stock to adjust the consistency. Alternatively, if it's too thin, you can continue simmering until it reaches your preferred thickness.
• Aroma Development: The thickening of the soupy mixture is directly linked to the development of the stew's aroma. As the liquid reduces and the ingredients cook together, the flavours intensify and create a fragrant stew. This aroma is a hallmark of Edo cuisine and will make your kitchen smell incredible!
• Final Touches: Once the stew has thickened to your liking, it's time for the final touches. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can add more salt, pepper, or any other spices to enhance the flavour profile.

By following these steps and allowing the soupy mixture to thicken, you'll create an authentic and aromatic Edo peppered stew. The process requires patience, but the end result is a delicious and hearty dish that will impress anyone who tries it.

Add ground leaves, stir, and add seasoning cubes and salt

To get the Edo peppered stew aroma, you'll need to add ground leaves, stir, and then add seasoning cubes and salt to taste.

Here's a step-by-step guide:

Preparing the Ground Leaves:

Start by washing and thoroughly cleaning the chosen leaves. You can use bitter leaf, waterleaf, Soko Tete, Igbo ugwu, or Uzouza leaves. These leaves are commonly used in Edo cuisine and can be used individually or in combination. Remove any tough stems and chop the leaves into small pieces. You can also blend or grind the leaves to create a paste.

Cooking the Stew:

In a large pot, heat some palm oil or red palm oil. The amount of oil will depend on the quantity of stew you are making. For every 500 grams of meat, you will typically need about 4 tablespoons of oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the ground leaves. Stir the leaves into the oil and cook for a few minutes. This step helps to infuse the flavour of the leaves into the oil and forms the base of your stew's aroma.

Now, it's time to add your seasonings. For a traditional Edo peppered stew, you'll need to include ground crayfish, dried shrimp, or dried crayfish. You can also add some ground pepper for an extra kick. Stir these ingredients into the pot and ensure they are well combined.

Adding Meat and Seasoning:

The type of meat you use is flexible and can include beef, fish, goat, or bush meat. For every pound of meat, you will need about 2 tablespoons of salt. Cut the meat into small pieces and add it to the pot. Stir well to combine, ensuring the meat is coated in the mixture of ground leaves and seasonings.

At this point, you can also add other ingredients like chopped onions, stock, or water. Adjust the amount of liquid added based on your desired consistency for the stew.

Cover the pot and let the stew cook until the meat is tender. This may take around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the type and cut of meat used.

Finally, taste the stew and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add more salt, pepper, or other seasonings to suit your preference. Keep in mind that the flavours will develop and intensify as the stew cooks, so it's important to taste and adjust gradually.

Your Edo peppered stew is now ready to be served! This stew is often enjoyed with boiled yam, plantain, or stiff puddings like pounded yam, cassava, or éba.

Simmer for five minutes and serve

Once you've added the ground leaves, stir the black soup, adding two seasoning cubes and salt to taste. Allow the soup to simmer for five minutes and serve.

This black soup is best served with eba, fufu, semo, or pounded yam.

If you're making egusi soup, you'll want to add the vegetables after the egusi balls have cooked through. First, add the pumpkin leaves, then the waterleaf, and finally, the bitter leaf. Leave the lid off the pot while the cooking finishes for another five to ten minutes. Stir, check the seasoning, and adjust accordingly.

If you're making melon seed soup, allow the soup to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot with any of the stiff puddings.

Frequently asked questions