How to Make Edikai Ikong Soup With Pounded Yam

Edikai Ikong is a scrumptious vegetable soup from Calabar, Southern Nigeria. It is made from an assorted selection of vegetables, palm oil and spices. This dish is truly delicious and a nation’s favourite. Hope you have fun cooking and eating it.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4

– 1 tuber Yam

– 400g Ugu/pumpkin leaves

– 200g Waterleaves or Gure in Yoruba

– 1kg boiled assorted meat

– 200g Periwinkle

– 200g boiled Dried Stock Fish (pre-soaked)

– 4 pieces boiled Crabs and or Snails

– 100g Shrimps

– 50g Crayfish

– 300ml Palm oil

– 1 large Onion

– 1 large fresh tomato

– 2 or 3 pieces red chilli peppers

– 10g Locust beans

– Maggi and salt

 

METHOD

STEP 1         Fry 3 or 4 cooking spoons of palm oil into a deep cooking pan, slice in a few onions.

STEP 2        Add blended pepper and allow to cook for 3 minutes.   Slice in red chilli peppers, tomatoes to add colour and a little bit of chopped garlic (optional) then steam for 3 minutes.

STEP 3        Add the sliced waterleaves; do not add water because water leaves generate water on their own. Now cook for 3 minutes.

STEP 4        Add remaining ingredients, periwinkle, shrimps, boiled stockfish, smoked stockfish, boiled assorted beef, crayfish, crabs, snails and locust beans. (Season with Maggi/ salt) Stir all the ingredients together, then leave for 2 minutes.

STEP 5        Add the Ugu, a bit of water then stir, leave for 2 minutes.

STEP 6        Serve with Pounded Yam.

Seasoning Tip: Try using three cubes of Maggi and a pinch of salt to ensure your cooking never has too much or too little salt. Always taste before adding salt.