Nigeria – Ofe Ugba

by Verdzekov Bernard

Ofe Ugba is a native meal for the people Imo state in Nigeria. Remember I mentioned, Nigeria is a country with so many tribes in it. One thing about Nigerians that I noticed is that, you may see some one that can speak all the traditional languages in the country and may have eating nearly all the traditional dishes from all the other tribes, but this person has his tribe and dish that they value more than the other traditional dishes they have eating. They have nice and tasteful traditional dishes, that I can’t deny. So, when you hear of someone eating all the traditional dishes, never blame he or she and by the way, it is not restricted. 

Ofe Ugba is made up of so many ingredients. But the main ingredient that make up this dish is okra and garden egg. To prepare the dish, follow guide below;

Ingredients

• Salt to taste
• Maggi 
• Garden eggs 
• Onions
• Pepper 
• Okra 
• Palm oil 
• Cray fish
• Cup of ugba
• Spinach 
• Dry fish
• Smoked mackerel

Process

• Wash your dry fish and smoke fish. Scatter with your hands and boil with salt to taste. 
• Wash your spinach leaves and boil. Boil squeeze and keep aside.
• Chop your garden egg with a knife. Chop your okra with a knife and keep aside. Chop your onions too. 
• Grind your crayfish.
• Stand your main cooking pot on the fire. Turn the boiled fish and the water and turn on heat. 
• Add crayfish, onions, pepper and close pot for some times. 5min 
• After about 5min add chopped garden egg and your spinach leaves and okra. Allow it to boil well for about 5min. Open and add your palm oil add your maggi and salt to taste. You can add curry powder if you which. Stir well and close pot. After about 15min remove and serve with boiled ripe plantain or cooked garri or fufu.

Enjoy…