Ede Onugbu Salad

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 medium cocoyams (taro), peeled
• 2 big handfuls of fresh bitter leaf (onugbu), thoroughly washed and squeezed to reduce bitterness
• 2 cooking spoons of palm oil
• 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
• 1 big onion, sliced
• 2 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
• 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
• Salt to taste
• A handful of stockfish (okporoko), soaked and shredded — optional

Method

1. 01

   Preparing the Bitter Leaf. Wash the bitter leaf very thoroughly in several changes of water, rubbing the leaves between your palms to reduce bitterness. Squeeze out as much water and bitter juice as possible. Taste a small piece — it should be pleasantly bitter, not overwhelmingly so. If too bitter, wash and squeeze 2 to 3 more times.

2. 02

   Boiling the Cocoyam. Peel the cocoyams carefully (wear gloves if your skin is sensitive to cocoyam sap). Rinse and cut into halves or quarters. Place in a pot of salted water and boil for 20 to 25 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside. Do not over-cook — they should hold their shape.

3. 03

   Making the Dressing. Heat the palm oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add the blended Atarodo. Fry for 5 minutes. Add ground crayfish, crushed seasoning cubes, salt and the shredded stockfish if using. Cook for another 3 minutes.

4. 04

   Combining. Add the prepared bitter leaf to the pan and stir into the dressing. Cook for 3 minutes just to soften the leaf slightly. Add the boiled cocoyam pieces and stir gently to coat everything in the dressing. The cocoyam will absorb the palm oil and spices beautifully. Cook together for 5 more minutes on low heat.

5. 05

   Serving. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm.

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• Gizdodo60 min
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