Cocoyam is a starchy edible root of which there are several varieties. It can be boiled, fried or roasted, depending on the variety. Cocoyam is typically used as a thickener in soups like ora, bitter leaf (onugbu), ofe ukpom and ofe ugu. For this purpose, it has to be cooked and pounded […]
Bitter leaf can be air dried but some days you might just need to dry bitter leaf in a hurry or any vegetable for that matter, especially a small quantity, this is where the microwave oven comes in.
For long storage, especially for those who can’t readily access bitter leaf, or for variety in Ogbono soup, dry bitter leaf is a necessity. I always buy the pre-washed bitter leaf from the market, which I then dry. Before I dry or dehydrate bitter leaf, I normally soften it, this […]
You will need to soften bitter leaf most times before use in soup, ukwa, etc., especially the dehydrated bitter leaf, since it is a very rugged leaf. It also needs to be washed thoroughly to remove the bitterness inherent in it. Some people boil the leaf with akanwu/kaun to soften […]
Bitter leaf as the name implies is very bitter, and for it to be used in a large quantity for cooking as a vegetable, the bitterness needs to be washed out. Like I said in my post on Bitter leaf soup/Onugbu soup, to wash out bitterness in fresh bitter leaf […]
There is nothing delicate or pretentious about Bitter leaf soup (onugbu soup). It is a full bodied soup that will take your tastebuds on a gratifying dining trip. Bitter leaf soup is an icon of Igbo cuisine, especially to the Anambra Igbos of Eastern Nigeria. It is an embodiment of […]
I am Ganiru, a wife, a mother, a food blogger, a chef, an author and an accountant. I love to cook and write about food, especially Nigerian and afro-centric food... Read More
