OZO Soup: A special delicacy from Edo State

HAVE you been seeking an unpopular traditional dish that will make your guests be at your neck for the recipe? Here is the Ozo /o-zur/ soup from Edo State. The Ozo soup can be considered a variant of the Gbegiri soup, only that the beans used in preparing Ozo is not as well blended as the one for Gbegiri.

Let’s visit the kitchen.

• Preparing Ofe Owerri soup and pounded yam

Ingredients

Red beans (Oloyin) — not well blended

Red oil

Well-blended pepper

Water

Salt and seasoning cubes

Crayfish

Stock fish

Beef

Locust beans

Pumpkin leaves (Ugwu)

Procedure for cooking Ozo in 15 minutes

Place a dried pot on fire. When it gets hot, pour the palm oil in it. Allow it to melt for 15 seconds. Add the pepper and locust beans (an amount relative to how much your cooking is) to the palm oil and fry it for 45 seconds. Add a reasonable amount of water; depending on the quantity you want. Let it simmer a little. After a while, add salt and seasoning. Add the semi-blended beans and let it simmer for 2 minutes. After this, introduce the crayfish, the stock fish and the beef into the pot. After 2 minutes, add the pumpkin leaves (Ugwu) and let it boil for 5 minutes.

Opening the pot after this will fill your nostrils with the mouth-watering aroma of the Ozo delicacy. Taking Ozo with pounded yam creates a wonderful experience. A dessert of palm wine makes it memorable.

Ready to eat with pounded yam.