Guess who is back in the kitchen on #WakeUpNigeria. It’s Chef Mary Jane!.
Chef Mary Jane made a Yoruba delicacy called “Efo Riro with Semo”. Efo Riro is a rich vegetable that is native to the Yoruba of Western Nigeria. Traditionally, the vegetable leaves used to cook this soup are called ‘Efo Shoko’ or ‘Efo Tete’. Alternatively, spinach can make a very good substitute.
To make the Efo Riro right, it has to be saucy and not watery. Check this authentic recipe used by Chef Mary Jane below.
Ingredient:
- Onions
- Crayfish
- Seafood
- Stockfish
- Smoked fish
- Kpomo
- Palm Oil
- Efo Shoko
- Tatashe (red bell pepper)
Before you cook the soup:
-Wash and soak your fish in water till its soft.
-Wash and Cut your vegetables.
-Soak your spinach in hot water and drain.
-Deseed the red bell peppers (tatashe) and blend to a paste.
-Dice your onions and blend crayfish.
Cooking Directions:
- In a heated pot, pour in palm oil then bleach. It may take about 15 minutes.
- Then add the diced onions and crayfish to the oil and stir. It gives the food a great aroma.
- Add your iro and allow to fry a little more.
- Then add the tatashe paste.
- Allow to fry.
- Add your smoked fish and stockfish.
- Add seasoning and salt to taste.
- Put in the parboiled meat and kpomo -add any other meat of your choice, the variety makes it look richer and appetizing.
- Add the spinach to the cooking pot.
- Allow to simmer for a bit
- Add the cut vegetable(efo) to the pot, stir very well and cover to simmer for about a minute.
- Serve the Efo Riro with semo. Any choice of swallow can go with the soup.