Foodaholics of the week

Omobolanle Madu from Angola Preparing: Bitterleaf Egusi and Eba

Ingredients:

Egusi

Crayfish

Fresh pepper

Meat

Shaki

Kpomo

Cowhead

Stockfish Head

Smoked Titus Fish

Palm oil

Maggi

Salt

Bitter leaf

Preparation:

Wash your meat, shaki, kpomo and cowhead. Also wash your stockfish head with water and salt to remove germs and dirt. 

Put the stockfish and the assorted meat in different pots to boil to desired taste and tenderness. Add your maggi and salt to taste. I prefer not to add water into the pot of meat. I let the meat boil in its own juice for a while so the taste of the season could go into the meat before I add some water. 

While this is going on, blend the quantity of fresh pepper and crayfish you want. Blend the Egusi too. I like blending mine at home. That way you are sure of how clean it is. I use the hand melon. It has a different taste. After blending the egusi, get your non stick frying pan and roast the egusi. Do not add water or oil. Just let it roast on its own. Stir constantly until it gives a slightly golden colour. Place in a plate for later.

Wash your bitter leaf to the taste you desire it to have.

When the meat is done, extract the meat from the stock. Put the pot with the stock back on fire. Add also the stock of the stockfish to the meat stock already in the pot. Pour in your grounded fresh pepper mixed with your crayfish. I usually don't like the idea of too much oil because of calories. I add 2 tablespoons of palm oil to the mix in the pot. Cover and let it boil. 

Add your roasted Egusi when the mixture has boiled after 5 minutes. When mixture has boiled, add your boiled stockfish, smoked fish and assorted meat to the pot. Normally, I don't add anymore salt or Maggi to the soup. The stock already contains enough of that. But if you see its not enough, you can add some more. After about 5 minutes, add your washed bitter leaf to the soup. Mix thoroughly. Let boil for about two more minutes. Soup is ready. 

Ingredients of Garri:

Yellow Garri

Boiling Water

Bowl

Spatular to turn the Garri

Little pieces of Bitter leaf for garnishing

See through lylon bag (2 cut open)

Rolling pin or a bottle to roll out the Eba. 

Preparation

When water has boiled, turn into your bowl and add your Garri to your desired softness or hardness. Turn with spatular until mixture turns to a mold. Lay your lylon on a flat surface and place your molded Garri at the middle. Cover with the other nylon. Use the rolling pin to flatten the mold into a pancake shape. Cut uneven sides with a knife to form a square shape. Use remove the lylon on top of the mold.  With the other one, use that to fold the Garri mold into a square like you have in the picture. Garnish with the pieces of bitter leaf. 

Food is served.