Ogbono soup is indigenous and made from ogbono seeds called African bush mango seeds in English.
This soup, which is a delicacy to people from the East and Middle Belt areas of Nigeria, is also relished by those from the South West.
To create a mouth-watering aroma and finger-licking effect, Ogbono soup is best prepared with ingredients like dried fish, stock fish, beef, snail, periwinkles, and shrimps, among others.
Vegetables like bitter leaf, ugwu, and okro can also be added to Ogbono soup while cooking to enrich its taste and create more satisfaction when eating it.
Commonly served along with this soup are swallows like akpu, fufu, eba, amala and pounded yam.
Some health benefits derived from this soup are vitamins C and E, dietary fibre and potassium.
Ingredients for Ogbono Soup
Ogbono seed
Dried fish
Meat
Palm oil
Onions
Dry pepper
Crayfish
Snail
Ponmo (cowskin)
Spices (salt, seasoning cube)
Stock (from meat)
Okro (by choice)
Bitter leaf (by choice)
Procedure for making ogbono soup
Grind ogbono seed (ensure it is clean before you grind)
Turn into a small chinaware
Warm little quantity of palm oil on fire
Pour into ogbono in chinaware
Mix till all lumps melt
Clean meat.
Put in a pot, slice onions into it
Add salt and seasoning into the pot for taste
Put on fire and cook
Clean ponmo to remove sand grains, and salt and cook for a few minutes
Clean dried fish and shrimps with lukewarm water
Remove snail shells and clean to remove slime
Season snails and cook for a few minutes
Remove the bitter leaf from the stem, put it in a bowl, add salt and squeeze out water
Clean with fresh water till the bitter taste is reduced
Clean okro in water and slice
Put another pot on fire, pour in meat stock, add a little quantity of water and boil
Add palm oil into the pot
Include dry pepper (already in powder form)
Same with dried fish, meat, snail, crayfish and ponmo
Add also salt and spices to taste
Pour bitter leaf into content on fire and stir
Leave for five minutes
Add ogbono paste and stir
Add okro, stir again and reduce the heat
Leave for another three minutes, then, it is done
Serve with the swallow of your choice
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