Miyan Shuwaka

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 big handfuls of fresh moringa leaves (zogale / shuwaka), stripped from stems
• Half a medium chicken or big handful of beef, cut into pieces
• 1 big handful of smoked fish, soaked and deboned
• 2 cooking spoons of groundnut oil
• 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
• 2 to 3 hot chilli peppers, blended
• 1 tablespoon of dawadawa (fermented locust beans)
• 1 big onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon of ground dry ginger
• 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
• Salt to taste
• 3 glasses of meat stock or water

Method

1. 01

   Preparing the Moringa Leaves. Strip the small moringa leaves from their thin stems — only the leaves are used. Wash gently in cold water and drain. Do not wash too aggressively as moringa leaves are very delicate. Set aside.

2. 02

   Cooking the Meat. Season and cook meat with salt, 1 seasoning cube and onion for 25 to 30 minutes. Reserve stock.

3. 03

   Frying the Base. Heat 2 cooking spoons of groundnut oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add onion and fry 2 minutes. Add dawadawa and fry 1 minute. Add blended chilli pepper and ground ginger. Fry for 6 minutes, stirring regularly.

4. 04

   Building the Soup. Add the cooked meat and smoked fish. Pour in the reserved stock. Add ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cubes and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes.

5. 05

   Adding the Moringa Leaves. Add the washed moringa leaves to the simmering soup. Stir very gently — moringa leaves are extremely delicate and break apart easily. Cook for just 5 minutes on medium-low heat. Do not overcook — moringa leaves lose much of their nutritional value when exposed to high heat for too long. Taste and adjust all seasonings. Serve immediately.

More soups & broths

• Egusi Soup90 min
• Efo Riro75 min
• Gbegiri60 min
• Ewedu Soup25 min
• Ogbono Soup60 min
• Obe Ata60 min