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Miyan Karkashi

Also known as Miyan Karkashi (Hibiscus Leaf Soup)

Miyan Karkashi is a traditional Hausa soup made from karkashi — the leaves of a wild plant in the hibiscus family that grows abundantly in the savannah and farmlands of North-Western Nigeria. The leaves have a naturally mucilaginous, slightly slimy texture when cooked, similar to okra, which gives the soup a draw-like quality.

Miyan Karkashi, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 big handfuls of fresh karkashi leaves (wild hibiscus leaves), washed
  • Half a medium chicken or beef
  • 1 big handful of smoked fish, soaked and deboned
  • 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

Method

  1. 01

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

  2. 02

    Frying the Base. Heat groundnut oil. Add onion, fry 2 minutes. Add dawadawa, fry 1 minute. Add chilli pepper and ginger, fry 7 minutes.

  3. 03

    Building the Soup. Add cooked meat, smoked fish, ground crayfish, seasoning cubes and salt. Pour in reserved stock. Simmer 8 minutes.

  4. 04

    Adding Karkashi Leaves. Add the washed karkashi leaves. Stir through. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes. The leaves will release their natural mucilage, thickening the soup into a draw consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

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