How to Prepare Ukazi (Afang) Soup

How to Prepare Ukazi (Afang) Soup according to Dobbys Signature:

Ingredients:::

• 450g Okazi leaves (4 Handfuls), Sliced thinly

• 400g Periwinkles "isam/ Mfi", Shelled - Optional

• 400g Red Beef

• A handful Achi (About 3 tablespoon full, ground)

• 2 Scotch bonnet pepper (Yellow)

• 1 Red Onion

• 2 Seasoning cubes

• 1 Small Stock fish part

• 1 small dry fish - optional

• 1 cooking spoon crayfish

• 1 cup Palm oil

• Salt to taste

Directions:::

Step 1: To prepare the Okazi leaves, you'd have to choose between Grinding, pounding or leaving the leaves like that. The consistency of the ground okazi soup is usually thick. If you intend using it like that, simply wash the sliced leaves and set aside. If you want to pound, wash and place the leaves in a mortar and pound with a pestle till it breaks up further. You can also grind the leaves at home or with a commercial mill in the market (This is usually done with a little bit of crayfish to make it grind smoothly). - Set this aside.

Step 2: Grind the Achi with a dry mill and set aside.

Step 3: For this meal, i used shelled periwinkles "Mfi/isam". You could either use the shelled or un-shelled type. To prepare, wash the shelled periwinkles thoroughly to remove the mud. Chop off the sharp edge of the Isam/ Mfi with a Knife or pincer as shown in the pic below, Rinse clean and set aside.

Step 4: Wash the Beef, Stockfish, Dryfish and place in a small pot. Add the ,Seasoning cubes, Salt, ground pepper and Onions. Add a little water, just enough to cover the contents of the pot and cook for about 15 mins till tender. At this point, add more water into the cooked meat. This would serve as a base for the soup.

Kitchen Tip: To reduce stress, you could add onion and pepper whole so that once the stock is done, they could easily be removed before the real soup preparation. This doesn't prevent it from giving you the needed flavor and basic nutritional benefits.

Step 5: Once the stock starts to boil, Simply add the palmoil and mix. Add the Achi , mix and leave to cook for about 15mins till the soup thickens. (When cooking afang, skip adding the achi)

Step 6: At this point, you can now add the Crayfish and Periwinkles, Leave for 5 minutes

Step 7:  Add the ground or sliced Okazi/ Afang (if cooking Afang, mix the afang leaves with chopped waterleaves). Leave to cook futher for 12-15mins more.

Turn off the burner and Serve with your favorite swallow; Garri/Eba, Fufu, wheatmeal, pounded yam, Semolina e.t.c. O! and don't forget to suck out the periwinkles, that's the best part ;)