How to make Igbo Ora or Oha Soup

The making of delicous Igbo Oha Soup

The Ingredients

• Oha leaves (as required)
• Cocao yam (see the video below)(about 15 to 20 medium sizes)
• Meat of choice (chicken, assorted, beef, goat meat, turkey)
• Dry fish/mangala (as desired)
• Maggi (seasoning) 2 to 4 cubes
• Crayfish ( 2 cups)
• A handful of Uziza leaves (optional)
• 1 big Stock fish head
• Palm oil 15 to 20cl
• 0.2 cup of ofor or achi (as alternative thickener)
• Ogiri (local ingredients)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 or 2 tablespoons of ofor or achi (optional)

Direction: 70 minutes cooking

• Wash the cocoa yam with water and cook until it is soft
• Peel the outer back and pound with mortar and pestle
• Remove the Ora/Uha leaves from the stem and slice
• Parboil meat with the necessary ingredients and allow to cook for 10 -15 minutes
• Add hot-water-washed dry fish
• Add stock fish and cook until it is tender
• Add more water then add red oil (palm oil), ground crayfish, seasoning of choice, salt, pepper to taste
• Stir and allow to boil.
• Add the pounded cocoa yam
• Add thickener- an option of ground egusi, achi or cocoa yam. Note that cocoa yam is the most popular Ora/Oha Igbo soup).
• Add ogiri and stir
• Allow the thickener to dissolve before adding the sliced uziza leaves and then uha leave
• Stir and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes and then ou are done.
• Soup can be serve with eba, fufu or pounded yam