How to Cook Afia Efere (White Soup): Efik Method

Afia Efere is usually prepared by the Efik people for special occasions such as Christmas/New year celebrations, Weddings and other festive occasions. For the Efik, the best accompanying swallow/solid to go with it is pounded yam. The soup got its name from the fact that it is usually cooked without adding the red oil. Ingredients: - Fresh Chicken cut into pieces, (the Efik use fresh chicken mainly but you can also use other protein- Cow beef, Goat meat etc, quantity would depend on number to be served) - Uyayak (the Aidan pod) spice, break it into two parts, roast one part slightly, grind and add water enough for the soup (to intensify the aroma) - Ground dried pepper (as desired) - Ground crayfish (3-4 tbs) - Salt to taste - 1-2 seasoning cubes - Medium size smoked fish – (wash with hot water to removed dirt and make tender) - If you are pounding yam to go with the soup, take a portion aside for thickening the soup or boil and pound small quantity of yam enough for that purpose. Alternative now is to make paste with yam flour. Method: - Wash the chicken or preferred protein into cooking pot, season with ground pepper, salt and one cube, cut the fleshy part of the other uyayak into it and let it steam, no water - When the liquid start to go down and the meat is tender, add the crayfish, sieve the liquid from the ground uyayak into the pot and stir, adjust the seasoning to your taste, add the other cube if needed - Cut the thickener (yam paste) into the pot in little quantities, add the fish and give another 5 minutes for it to thicken - The Efik does not add any vegetable or onion in this soup, but I sometimes add a few chopped ears of scent leaf, odusa leaf or curry leaf to it (my twist). - Serve with pounded yam, you can also serve with other Nigerian swallows. Pictures

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How to Make Tiger Nuts Milk

Tiger nuts also knowns as ofio in yoruba, Aya in Hausa, Aki-Hausa in Igbo, Isib-Isong in Efik is a popular snack in Nigeria and can be consumed in various forms, from eating raw, roasted, milking or making a popular local drink called Kunu-Aya. It is a natural alternative to cow's milk beside soybeans milk, coconut or Almond milk. It is not only eaten for its sweet tast and crunchiness but also for its health benefits,think of the high protein content, carbohydrate, Vitamins B, C and E, minerals-calcium, copper, zinc, potassium. Tiger nut is also reported to have anti-inflammatory properties, good effect on gastrointestinal track and have heart friendly oil. To prepare the milk you will need the following: - 1 cup of tiger nut properly washed (if using the dried ones soak in water overnight) - 4 cups of clean water - Mesh cloth for to strain Method - Add to blender and blend till smooth - Sieve in mesh cloth to remove the milk - You can add dates to sweeten ( optional) - Also add 1 cup of coconut milk for added creaminess (optional) Enjoy it in smoothie, oats or any other dish requiring milk Keep it really chilled to prevent fermentation. the milk can keep fresh for about 3 days if stored in freezer. Picture:

Bonus I heard that adding dates and coconut to the milk makes it a natural aphrodisiac for both men and women :) i don't know how true this claim goes but i just love my tiger nut milk. #tigernuts #milk #naijafood #healthyliving

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HOW TO COOK BITTER LEAF & WATERLEAF SOUP

Bitter leaf is widely used in Nigeria either for soups or for traditional medicine. The leafy green vegetable has several health benefits ranging from toning the kidney and liver, detoxifying the body, regulationg blood sugar, balancing hormone and much more. There are different methods of preparing it into delicious healthy soups, but today, we will talk about how to cook bitter leaf and waterleaf soup: INGREDIENTS: 1. 2 Bunches fresh Bitter leaf that you can wash yourself or buy the already washed one- rinse well and slice into tiny pieces 2. 2 Bunches of waterleafs- washed and sliced into smaller pieces 3. Meat, enough to serve 3- 4 people 4. 1 medium size smoked fish, washed with hot water and deboned 5. Pomo- chopped into small pieces or as desired 6. Half cup ground crayfish 7. 1 Medium size stock fish (optional) washed and soaked in hot water 8. 2 Cooking spoons of palm-oil 9. Blended Fresh or ground dried pepper 10. 1 large onion 11. 2 cubes seasoning 12. Salt to taste METHOD Wash and place meat in a pot, season with pepper, part of the onion, garlic & ginger ,1 cube seasoning, salt and steam on fire for 10 -15 minutes. Add stock fish, pomo and the smoked fish to the boiling pot, add a small water, pepper and the other seasoning, stir and cook for minutes. Taste and adjust salt as needed, add palm oil, after a minute add remaining onion, water leaf and the bitter leaf, stir and allow it cook for another five minutes. And it is ready, serve with any swallow of your choice.

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HOW TO COOK EDIKANG IKONG

INGREDIENTS: • Meat enough for serving 3-4 people • 1 medium Smoked fish • Pomo: 3 medium sizes, cleaned and chopped into tiny pieces or as desired • Stockfish enough for 3 -4 people • ½ cup blended Crayfish • 3 large Snails (optional) deshelled and properly cleaned with Alum or lime juice and cut to desired sizes • 1 medium size onion • 2 bunches of Uwgu leaves washed and sliced into tiny pieces • 2 bunches of waterleaves-washed and slice into tiny pieces • 2 full cooking spoons of Palm-oil • Fresh pepper to your taste, blended or ground dried pepper • 2 Seasoning cubes METHOD Wash meat and stock-fish properly into a pot, use one seasoning cube, pepper, salt, ginger & garlic powder and set on fire to steam, add some, water after about ten minutes and keep boiling till tender. The water from the meat should not be much, about a cup by now, careful not to add more water except really necessary as the waterleaves will surely bring out water. Add pomo and the snail to the boiling pot. Wash fish in hot water to remove dirt and smell of smoke, debone and add to the pot and stir. After five minutes, add the crayfish, pepper, salt, one more seasoning cube, stir and add two cooking spoons of palm-oil. Allow two minutes, stir taste for salt and add onions at this point, add waterleaves, stir and add the ugwu and mix well. Allow to simmer for 3-5 more minutes. Don’t overcook the veggies, if you are not okay with the seasoning adjust accordingly, one final stir and it’s done! Serve with any Nigerian swallow. Pictures:

Finished product ofEdikang Ikong

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How to cook Afang Soup

Afang soup  though originated from the people of  Cross River and Akwa Ibom States  in the South -South region of Nigeria is widely eaten in Nigeria.

Ingredients:

The Afang leaves (washed dried and sliced into thin pieces, pound in a mortar or blend but not to paste)

Water leave (2 bunches to one bunch of Afang leaves)

Meat

Shaki

Kpomo

Smoked fish/stock fish

2 table spoons of ground crayfish

Optional- Periwinkle with shell  (washed thoroughly and cut at the bottom) or  without shell,

Palm-oil (half cup)

Method:

Wash meat, shaki and kpomo, season and cook till tender, add the washed smoked/stock fish

Add crayfish stir and add oil, periwinkle stir and taste for salt and adjust seasoning as desired.

Add water leaf, stir and finally the Afang (if you like onions, add at this point,

Let it cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve  with any swallow of your choice.

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How to make Ekoki (Corn Moi-Moi)

EKOKI: This is popular among the south-South (Cross River & Akwa-Ibom States) people of Nigeria. It can also be called corn pudding. You can be as creative as you would when cooking moi-moi, the only difference is the corn and palm used in this dish.

Ingredients

-          2 Cups Corn seeds (5 fresh corn on cobs),

-          Smoked Titus fish or any smoked fish or any other condiments of your choice

-          Fresh pepper to taste

-          3 Medium size onions

-          2 Cooking spoons palm oil

-          Seasoning

-          2 Tbs Cray-fish

-         Handful of sliced scent leave (optional)Moi-Moi Leaves or foil for wrapping

-          Moni-Moi Leaves or foil for wrapping

-          Water (Enough to make soft paste)

Method:   

-          Wash and blend corn with pepper and onion till smooth

-          Add salt, seasoning, crayfish and palm oil

-          Add fish and the slice scent leaves of using

-          Using the moi moi leaves or foil wrap as you would moi moi and place in a pot

-          Add two cups of water to the pot and cook for 40 minutes adding water as needed

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AYAN-EKPANG

How to Prepare Ayan Ekpang

This is in the family of swallows to be eaten with soup and is made from either cocoyam, water yam or (cassava for the one called akpai-akpai Ekpang). This special delicacy is native to the Efik people of Cross River or Ibibio people of Akwa Ibom States in the South-South region if Nigeria.

Sometimes the ingredients can be combined i.e cassava + cocoyam, water yam + Cocoyam to get special flavour and consistency. I personally prefer working with cocoyam alone.

Ingredients & Items

-          Cocoyam (5 pieces of the longer/tuberous ones to make about 6 wraps of Ayan-ekpang)

-          1 bunch of Moi-Moi leaves (Ewenla)

-          Grater

-          1 table spoon of vegetable oil

-          Wide cooking pot

-          ½ tsp salt(optional)

-          ½ cup of water

Direction to prepare

-Peel and wash the cocoyam

-Grate into a wide bowl

- Add salt if prefered, mix & knead into smooth past adding little water at intervals till satisfied with the consistency (it should be really soft without being watery/runny)

-Wash the Moi-Moi leaves thoroughly cutting the stems into the bottom of the pot to form a base to avoid burning.

-  Rub little vegetable oil on the Moi-Moi leaves for ease of unwrapping when cooked

-Scoop with a handful or 3 table spoons into the leave and roll in cylinder shape

-Place in the pot, add 2 cups of water (add more as you cook) and cook for about 40-45 minutes

- When done it should have the consistency of white amala, serve with draw (like okro, Ogbono) Soup.

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