Ofe Nsala (white soup) is a sumptuous delicacy that is native to the Igbo tribe of Nigeria, especially the people of Anambra State. It is called Afia Efere by the Efik people. Ofe Nsala is known as white soup because palm oil is not used for the preparation unlike other local soups. It is also rich in fresh fish. Pounded yam, yam flour or cocoyam can be used to thicken the soup.
INGREDIENTS
Assorted meat/chicken, fresh fish, stockfish, smoked fish, crayfish, ground pepper, ogiri/dawadawa, uziza leaves, utazi, calabash nutmeg seed, uda pod, uziza seeds, yam, stock cubes and salt.
BEFORE PREPARATION
Pound/grind the uziza seeds, ehuru and uda in a dry mill till smooth and set aside. Wash and slice your utazi and uziza, if you are using dried leaves, soak them to remove traces of dirt and to remove them a bit. Parboil your meat/chicken with seasoning, curry and salt.
COOKING DIRECTION
Place a pot on a hob on medium heat. Add the stockfish or tough meats and also parboil with pepper. Boil the yam till soft and then pound in a mortar or make use of a blender and then set aside. When it is very soft, add the ground uziza seeds, uda and ehuru or pepper soup spice. Also add the crayfish. Dissolve the ogiri in water and. Boil for another 2 minutes. Now add the fresh fish and cleaned smoked fish. Then cook the contents for about 7-10 minutes.
After, take the fresh fish out. Add more water depending on the quantity of soup you require. Add stock cubes and a pinch of salt because the stock already has salt. Now add the pounded ym. Give the contents a good stir and leave to cook the yam till its completely dissolves. This should take about 8-10 minutes. Re-introduce the fresh fish into the pot, rock the pot gently to combine. Now add the washed utazi or uziza or broth. Turn the heat off and leave to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then your Ofe Nsala is done and ready to serve. You can enjoy with your favorite swallow.
