COkwuru Ugba (Okra and Ugba Soup) is a traditional Nigerian recipe for a classic stew of beef, dried fisn and ground crayfish in an okra and fermented oil beans (ugba) in a beef stock and red palm oil base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Nigerian version of: Okra and Ugba Soup (Okwuru Ugba).
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This is a classic Igbo soup, specifically from Mbaise and my wife’s native Owerri. Ugba is fermented oil beans, typically shredded and okwuru (also spelled ukwuru) is okra. Other key ingredients are yellow habanero chillies, red palm oil and dried crayfish (actually dried prawns and which my wife calls ‘crawfish’) and, of course, smoked and dried fish. Beef stock and a few cubes of beef complete the recipe. Like most West African ‘soups’ this is actually a stew intended to be served with an accompaniment other than rice (pounded yam would be typical in this case).
Ingredients:
3 tbsp red palm oil
1 cup shredded ugba
6 tbsp ground crayfish
1 or 2 yellow habaneros, sliced into thin rounds
1 smoked and dried fish, washed and broken into pieces
750ml beef stock
12 cubes of beef
12 red crayfish (Ede pupa) dried prawns
300g (1 lb) fresh okra, sliced
Method:
Heat the oil in a pot. When hot but not smoking stir in the ugba, ground crayfish and chilli slices. Fry gently for a few minutes, stirring gently to coat the ingredients in the oil, then add in the pieces of dried fish. Stir to combine then add the beef stock, beef, red crayfish and sliced okra.
Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat and continue simmering for 20-25 minutes, or until the okra is tender, the oil has separated, the dried prawns are tender and the beef is cooked through. Serve hot with pounded yam.
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