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HOW TO COOK WEST AFRICAN STYLE OKRO SOUP WITH A SPICY TWIST

June 25, 2022

Okro Soup is one of many savoury soups prepared in many West African homes and eaten with ‘’swallow’’ of eba, fufu, pounded yam, amala, banku, etc. It is cooked using either fresh or dry okro that is either diced into small pieces, blended into a paste or ground when dried into powder as the main vegetable ingredient to thicken the soup and give it its natural ‘’draw’’ texture and consistency.

Okro is also known as ‘’Okra’’ or ‘’Lady Fingers’’.

To spice things up, I decided to cook Okro soup with a slightly different twist – this time using the aromatic pepper spice combination of Scotch Bonnet (Cameroun Pepper) and Uziza (Tailed Pepper).

Scotch bonnet is an extremely hot chilli with a deep smoky and fruity flavour, and should be used carefully and in small quantities (or according to how brave you are feeling). Uziza is a highly aromatic, pungent and peppery spice with a unique flavour that is quite a challenge to replicate with any other spice.

The result? A soup that was so finger-licking tasty with an amazing aroma that it got the taste buds all fired up!

You can make this soup in your usual way, and simply add the Cameroun Pepper and Uziza according to your taste to get their combined unique aroma.

My spicy Okro Soup recipe is as follows:

1.5kg to 2kg gravy beef cut into chunks (any cut will do)

4 pieces dried/smoked fish (washed in hot water, cleaned and de-boned)

1kg fresh okra (I prefer to blend mine for a smooth soup consistency when cooked)

2 tablespoons ground crayfish

3 chopped brown onions (I like onions but you can really make do with only 2)

1 ladle of red palm oil

1 teaspoon Scotch Bonnet/Cameroon Pepper powder

1 teaspoon ground Uziza/Tailed Cubeb Pepper seeds

1 teaspoon ground Dawa-Dawa/Iru

Salt and other seasonings (Knorr/Maggi/Vegeta, etc) to taste.

Method:

Wash beef chunks and place with water in a large cooking pot and put on stove to boil.
Add onions, salt, seasonings, Cameroon pepper and Uziza pepper powders.
Add dried fish and Dawa-dawa/Iru.(the drier the fish, the earlier added to the pot to cook)
As the meat and fish cook, add crayfish powder to the mix.
When the meat is soft enough, now add palm oil.
Taste for salt, spiciness and other seasonings and adjust accordingly. Add more if needed, or add water if too concentrated (African cooking makes such adjustments as you go along).
Finally, add the Okro and turn the mixture gently until carefully mixed well.
Cook for a further 3 to 5 minutes or so without cover, turning every minute.
Be careful not to overcook and remove the pot from the stove.
Enjoy while with your preferred ‘’swallow’’ meal.

To Your Good Health!

Give this a try and let me know how you like it.

Shop Cameroon Pepper and Uziza Tailed Pepper