Garden2dish

• 6 cups of water
• ½ cup of Ikpa (dried medium-sized crayfish), optional
• 10 pieces of okra
• 4oz of meat stock
• ½ tsp of salt
• ¼ tsp of dried pepper (Cameroun pepper or red dried pepper) 6 oz of boiled meat
• 4 1/8 oz of dried fish (Eba/Asa)

Preparation:

Okra Preparation:

1. Snip the tips of the okra with a knife.
2. Dice the okra by making two intersecting cuts along the ridges, then slice to the top of the cap or flower base of the okra and discard it. Pour 1/8 cup of cool water into the bowl with the cut okra to prevent it from turning brown and set aside.

Note: When buying okra, select smaller ones, approximately 2-3 inches long. This guarantees tender, easy-to-cut, fresh okra, while larger ones often turn out tougher and with less fresh flavor.

Ogbolo Preparation:

Place ¼ cup of blended Ogbolo in a bowl. Add two teaspoons of palm oil. Use a spatula to combine the palm oil and Ogbolo into a smooth paste, then set aside.

Dried medium-sized crayfish (Ikpa)Preparation:

Place the crayfish in a bowl and pour water over it, ensuring it is fully submerged. Soak the crayfish for 2 minutes, then remove it and transfer it to a plate.

Directions:

Step 1: Pour 6 cups of water and 4oz of meat stock into a pot. Add dried blended pepper and crayfish, then boil over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add the meat to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Then, add the fish and cook for another 5 minutes. Next, incorporate the Ikpa and cook for 2 more minutes.

Step 3: Stir the Ogbolo mixture into the pot and cook for 5 minutes or until thoroughly combined with the other ingredients.

Step 4: The final item to add is the okra. Stir it into the pot and cook for 3 minutes.

Variations

Ogbono can be made without okra; you can stop at step 3.

You can add any of these vegetables after the okra: ¼ cups of finely chopped kale, spinach, or ugwu leaves.

Kale and ugwu have a firmer texture compared to spinach. Introduce them 1-2 minutes after adding the okra. Add the spinach half a minute before turning off the heat.

It is now ready to serve. Serve it with Eba, Pounded Yam, Semolina, Farina, Amala, fufu, Oats, and Wheat.