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Ila asepo (Yoruba okra soup)
Ilá àsèpọ̀: chopped okra cooked with palm oil, iru, assorted meat, smoked fish and prawns
Ibadan and Abeokuta buka ladle ila asepo over amala at lunchtime: a bright, chunky okra soup cooked in a palm-oil pepper base, rather than the plain boiled okra of other regions. Iru and crayfish give depth, assorted meat and smoked fish give body, and prawns go in at the end, so every spoonful is drawy, savoury and loaded. It is just as good with eba or pounded yam. Cooking the okra too long is the usual mistake; it loses its stretch and its green colour, so add it last and give it only 4–5 minutes. Chef's tip: chop the okra by hand into small dice instead of blending it, and the soup keeps its pleasant crunch.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meat
- 14 oz stewing beefcut into 3 cm pieces
- 7 oz cleaned beef tripe (shaki)bought cleaned, cut into strips
- 1 onionsliced
- 2 stock cubescrumbled; check they are gluten free
- 1 tsp salt
For the soup
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 1 red bell pepperchopped
- 1 onionchopped
- ¼ cup red palm oil
- 1 tbsp irufermented locust beans; sub: 1 tsp white miso
- 2 tbsp ground crayfish
- 1 smoked fish (catfish or mackerel)about 200 g, skin and bones removed, in chunks
- 7 oz raw prawnspeeled and deveined, from a reputable fishmonger
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh okrafinely chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Simmer 14 oz stewing beef and 7 oz cleaned beef tripe (shaki) with 1 onion, 2 stock cubes, 1 tsp salt and 600 ml water for 45–50 minutes, until both are tender. Keep the stock.
50 minStep 2: Meanwhile, blend 2 tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, 2 scotch bonnet chillies and 1 onion until smooth.
2 minStep 3: Warm ¼ cup red palm oil in a large pot over a medium heat until runny, add 1 tbsp iru and fry for 1 minute, then add the pepper blend. Fry for 12 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil rises to the top.
13 minStep 4: Add the meat with 400 ml of its stock, 2 tbsp ground crayfish and 1 smoked fish (catfish or mackerel). Simmer for 8 minutes so the flavours meet.
8 minStep 5: Stir in 7 oz raw prawns and cook for 3 minutes, until pink and opaque all the way through.
3 minStep 6: Add 1 ⅛ lb fresh okra, stir well and cook uncovered for 4–5 minutes, until bright green and stretchy. Taste for salt and serve at once with amala, eba or pounded yam.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ila asepo (Yoruba okra soup) take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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