Refresh your weekend with Idoma’s Okoho soup

OKOHO (cissus populnea) is a popular soup among the Idoma people of Benue State of Nigeria. The medicinal stem is converted into a slick, delicious sauce with which the people’s beloved pounded yam; the evergreen Eba (from cassava) and sundry food, are eaten.

Among the Yoruba Okoho is known as Ajara or Orogbolo while the people of the core North of the country refer to Okoho as Dafara.

Okoho soup is highly medicinal and is also known for its ability to aid digestion.

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Ingredients

Stem of okoho plant

Crayfish

Fresh pepper

Onions

Locust beans

Seasoning cubes

Salt

Dried cat fish

Beef

Dried bush meat

Egusi

  Preparation

Firstly, you wash and peel the okoho stem into very thin strands and wrap into a bunch into a medium size bowl of hot water to soak about 15 minutes. When the water has simmered a bit, you squeeze the water from the strand until you achieve a very thick liquid and store the liquid for the soup.

Parboil the beef or dried meat with the onions, salt and the ground pepper. When half way cooked, add the locust beans and the dried fish to cook for about 15 minutes.

Prepare the egusi by blending till very smooth and add the crayfish to it.

Thereafter,add a              little water to make a very thick and stiff paste till the melon oil is achieved. Add a pinch of salt to the egusi paste for taste.

Thereafter remove the meat, the egusi balls and the meat and carefully pour in the okoho and set the heat on low for about 15 minutes.

Add the meat, egusi and fish and stir and set aside for the pounded yam or preferred food.