Editan Soup

 

Editan soup is mainly eaten by the Ibibios of Akwa Ibom state and so to find this vegetable in the market you can easily ask the ‘Calabar ‘ trader .Today on the menu I bring you a dish I am also experiencing for the first time, Editan soup is another interesting addition to your Nigerian soup list.
Growing up I never ate Editan soup because it was rated by mum as the cheaper version of Afang soup. s. You can actually have them slice it for you in the market.  I prefer to do all my food prep home.
I understand that Editan has different varieties with varying degrees of bitterness. I had to learn the best way to reduce the bitterness by washing severally . Some people use potash and that will get rid of the bitterness instantly but leaves the vegetable with a flat taste and I find the leaves too soft. Editan is also a bit slimy, which is why I prefer to add some Okro . Some people add Waterleaf . For a chilli pepper lover like me I used quite some ample quantity . Many people claim some calming effect of Editan leaves on the stomach, for me every vegetable will do this but I guess you can find out for yourself.Did I enjoy the soup , sure enough, which is why I am sharing. Enjoy!

I have slacked a bit on my exercise routine but this week I start again with vigour and boy do I feel so goooood. That feeling of lightness on your feet when your walking , high energy level, good night sleep, are some of the benefits I am experiencing.The body is just like a car, park it for a long time and it will not function well when you try to drive it again.
I do wish for more opportunities to walk rather than seat in a car most of my  week but the environment does not allow for it . Hmmm will make do with my three days a week at the gym.

Recipe for Editan soup

Ingredients
2 cups Editan leaf (shredded, pounded and washed)
1 table spoon sliced Uziza leaf
8 pieces Beef
4 pieces Snails
8 pieces Cow Skin( Pomo)
Stock fish(optional)
Handful dried Prawns
6 fingers Okro (chopped in circular chunks)
Scotch Bonnet Pepper( coarsely ground) to taste
1 table spoon ground Crayfish
Seasoning to taste
2 cooking spoons Palm oil
Salt to taste

Method
1, Wash, season beef with seasoning ,salt, pepper and steam in its juice till it dries up. Add more water and cook till almost soft, add the snails,cow skin and smoked fish, prawns and ground crayfish and cook till all meats are soft.
2, Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil
3, Add palm oil , taste and correct seasoning and cook for about 3 minutes
4, Add the Editan , uziza and chopped Okro  and cook for  3-5 minutes. Consistency of the soup is just like Afang or Edikang Ikong . Editan  soup is slightly bitter , but the type of flavor you will like if you like bitter leaf.
5, Serve with a swallow of choice.

How to treat Editan
1, Pick and slice the leaves just like Afang or Ukazi or Okazi. The slicing can be done for you in the market.
2, Pound the leaves in a motar , you may want to try shredding in the dry ingredient part of a domestic blender. Make sure you do not blend into a paste.All you want is the sliced leaves to be further reduced to tiny slices
3, Place the pounded Editan in a sieve with tiny wholes , immerse in a bowl of water and using your hands, stir the vegetable to rinse out the bitterness and you will notice the dark slimy liquid come out of the vegetable. Taste as you go to check for the bitterness level you can tolerate. You may need to this washing and rinsing several times to get rid of most of the bitterness
4, Squeeze out liquid from the rinsed leaves and spread on a tray and dry in the sun to take out some of the liquid. It should not be crispy dry. It is semi dry.
5, You can then store the Editan in the freezer for future use. I made more than I needed for this soup and left the remaining for future use.