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Miyan Ganye

Also known as Miyan Ganye (Mixed Leaves Soup)

Miyan Ganye — meaning 'leaf soup' in Hausa — is a versatile, catch-all category of Northern Nigerian soup that uses a seasonal mixture of available wild and cultivated leaves. Unlike Southern Nigerian soups that tend to feature one specific leaf prominently, Miyan Ganye embraces whatever leaves are fresh and available — moringa, roselle, pumpkin, cowpea leaves, sweet potato leaves and others — mixed together in a single pot.

Miyan Ganye, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 big handfuls of mixed fresh leaves — any combination of: moringa (zogale), roselle (yakuwa), pumpkin leaves (taushe), cowpea leaves, sweet potato leaves, spinach
  • Half a medium chicken or big handful of beef
  • 1 big handful of stockfish or smoked fish, soaked
  • 2 cooking spoons of groundnut oil
  • 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 3 hot chilli peppers, blended
  • 1 tablespoon of dawadawa
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 glasses of meat stock or water

Method

  1. 01

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

  2. 02

    Frying the Northern Base. Heat groundnut oil in a wide pot. Add onion and fry 2 minutes. Add dawadawa and fry 1 minute. Add blended chilli pepper and ground ginger. Fry for 7 minutes, stirring well.

  3. 03

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

  4. 04

    Adding the Mixed Leaves. Add all the mixed leaves to the pot in order of toughness — tougher leaves first, most delicate last. Stir through each addition. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until all leaves are wilted and well-incorporated. Taste and adjust all seasonings.

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