Eforiro with Spinach and Uziza

Eforiro is a favorite soup from the south west part of Nigeria and the vegetables commonly used are Shoko or Tete. For today’s dish I used the English spinach which is called Efo amunututu and added Uziza to bring that special minty flavor to this Seafood Eforiro. Like we say in Nigeria….your Eforiro will not remain the same again after you try this recipe with Uziza.

Uziza leaves and the seeds are great flavour agents in soups and stews and even grills. I am so in love with is southeast Nigeria herb right now.Just yesterday at my hair salon I could not help but sell this herb to my Edo hair dresser, just shows my passion right now.

Growing up my grandmother will hardly cook Otong soup without adding some Uziza leaves or etinkeni as it’s called in Efik. I am not so sure that the Yorubas use Uziza in cooking but heck, with some many people from the southeast trading across the country a herb like Uziza can be found in every big city in Nigeria.

For most Yorubas shokoyokoto or shoko for short (don’t really have the English name) is the main and favored vegetable used but I see other vegetables being used these days for Eforiro. In my Spinach and Uziza Seafood Eforiro, I am using the fresh English spinach, called Nmongmong ikong mbakara in Efik or efo amunututu in Yoruba. I got my self some seeds and young plant of the spinach to grow thanks to @kraftplus, one of my Instagram followers that was kind to share.

The other key ingredient that brings authenticity to an Eforiro dish is the fermented locust bean called Iru. The first time I touched Iru you cannot imagine how much I scrubbed my fingers to remove the strong aroma, but as with most foods you get to develop and acquired taste for it. When put in the soup, Iru loses some of its strong smell, and that is because palm oil has a way of reducing such smells. You are then left with a dish that tastes nearly as good as your grandma’s.

For the seafood, please feel free to use whatever is available to you; snails, calamari, fish chunks etc.

Enjoy my offering of today; Spinach and Uziza Seafood Eforiro.

 

Recipe for Eforiro with Spinach and Uziza

Ingredients

1 cup dressed Shrimps

4-6 pieces dressed Crab

4 cups cut and blanched fresh Spinach

1/2 cup shredded Uziza leaves

2 cooking spoons ground and boiled Tomatoes

1 cooking spoon coarsely ground onion/ pepper mix

1 teaspoon Iru

3 cooking spoons Palm oil

1 tablespoon Crayfish

Beef seasoning to taste

Salt to taste

Method

1. Pick, wash and cut the Spinach into medium size chunks. Boil enough water to cover the leaves. Pour boiling water over the spinach ensuring that all the leaves are well steeped in the water for about 1 -2 minutes. Quickly drain out the hot water and steep vegetables in cold water. Drain off the cold water, squeeze out excess water in the spinach and set aside. You will notice a bit of slime as you squeeze, so press hard to get rid of some of the slime. Do not worry about the slime because it does not appear like this in the soup.
2. Pick wash and shred the Uziza leaves and set aside. You shred into very thin slices like you will do for Okazi or Afang
3. Heat the palm oil, fry the onion/peppermix first and then add the tomato, crayfish, Iru, seasoning and salt to taste. Allow to fry until the water in the tomato mix is dry.
4. Add the seafood, lower the heat and allow to cook till done.
5. Take out the shrimps, add first the Uziza and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Add the spinach last stir to mix well and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pot, stir well cook for 1 more minute and the Spinach and Uziza Seafood Eforiro is ready.