Editan Soup Recipe
Description
Editan Soup is a vegetable soup indigenous to the Ibibios and Efiks of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It is one of many vegetable soups made in this region. Editan leaf is usually paired with waterleaf just like Edikang Ikong and Afang soup but it has a richer, more complex flavour than both soups. The leaves can also be paired with okro for a delicious soup.
Editan leaf is naturally bitter like Bitter leaf, so it needs to be processed to remove the bitterness before use, although some people cook it without this step because they believe the bitterness has its own medicinal value. Editan also gets slimy when it comes in contact with water, so it needs to be washed well.
Ingredients
- 3 cups pounded Editan
- Meat
- Snail optional
- Ponmo (Cow skin)
- ½ small onions chopped
- Stockfish head washed
- 1 ½ cups Periwinkle/Isam In shell
- 6 tablespoons ground crayfish
- Dry fish washed
- 1 cup Palm oil
- fresh pepper
- 4 seasoning cubes
- 4 cups Shredded Waterleaf
Steps
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound shredded editan leaves or grind using a food processor or dry mill of a blender.
- Place ground editan leaves into a bowl and add boiling water, enough to adequately cover it. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile place meat, ponmo and snails in a medium pot over medium-high heat, season with salt and one seasoning cube, add chopped onions and little water, cover and cook until meat, ponmo and snails have softened.
- After 10 minutes, drain editan leaves using a chiffon cloth. Squeeze well to remove as much water as possible, rinse in cold water, drain and squeeze well again, set aside.
- Using a big knife cut off the tails of the periwinkle (or use a clean plier). Wash in several changes of water until the water is clear.
- Rinse and add stockfish and cleaned periwinkle-in-shell (see below) to the boiling meat and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add crayfish, dryfish, palmoil, fresh pepper and three seasoning cubes. Stir, cover and cook until oil doesn't taste raw.
- Add waterleaf, cook for five minutes.
- Sprinkle in the editan, cover and shake the pot, cook for five minutes.
- Stir, taste and correct seasoning.
- Cover and cook for five minutes and take off the heat.
- Serve with swallow of choice.