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Ede ji Onugbu

Also known as Ede ji Onugbu (Cocoyam & Bitter Leaf Porridge)

Ede ji Onugbu is a hearty, one-pot Igbo comfort meal that sits at the intersection between a soup and a stew — combining boiled cocoyam pieces with bitter leaf in a rich palm oil base. Unlike Ofe Onugbu where the cocoyam is used only as a thickener, in this dish the cocoyam pieces are the main body of the meal, absorbing the palm oil, crayfish and pepper sauce and becoming deeply flavourful in the process.

Ede ji Onugbu, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 8 to 10 medium cocoyams (ede), peeled and cut into chunks
  • 4 big handfuls of fresh bitter leaf (onugbu), washed and squeezed 4 to 5 times
  • 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 3 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of ogiri okpei
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 big handful of smoked fish or stockfish — optional

Method

  1. 01

    Preparing the Bitter Leaf. Wash and squeeze the bitter leaf in 4 to 5 changes of water until pleasantly bitter. Set aside.

  2. 02

    Parboiling the Cocoyam. Boil the peeled, chunked cocoyams in salted water for 15 minutes until half cooked. Drain. Set aside. Partial parboiling prevents the cocoyam from breaking up completely in the final dish.

  3. 03

    Building the Base. In a wide pot, heat palm oil over medium heat. Add ogiri and fry 1 minute. Add sliced onion and fry 2 minutes. Add blended Atarodo and fry 5 minutes.

  4. 04

    Cooking Everything Together. Add the parboiled cocoyam chunks to the pot. Add ground crayfish, seasoning cubes, salt and enough water to just cover the cocoyams (about 2 glasses). Add smoked fish or stockfish if using. Stir gently. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the cocoyams are fully cooked and have absorbed the spiced palm oil broth.

  5. 05

    Adding the Bitter Leaf. Add the squeezed bitter leaf. Stir through gently, being careful not to break the cocoyam pieces. Cook for 10 more minutes on medium-low heat. The bitter leaf will wilt and infuse its flavour into the dish. Taste and adjust all seasonings. Serve hot.

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