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Miyan Kuka Vegetarian

Also known as Miyan Kuka Vegetarian (Baobab Leaf Soup)

Vegetarian Miyan Kuka replaces the meat that normally features in this iconic Northern Nigerian soup with a generous combination of mushrooms, ground crayfish and extra dawadawa (fermented locust beans) to create a plant-based version that retains the distinctive earthy, draw-like quality and the characteristic baobab leaf depth. The fermented locust beans are particularly important in the vegetarian version — they provide the same umami depth that meat would normally contrib

Miyan Kuka Vegetarian, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 3 big cooking spoons of ground kuka (baobab leaf powder)
  • 2 big handfuls of fresh oyster mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cooking spoons of groundnut oil
  • 2 big tablespoons of dawadawa (fermented locust beans)
  • 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 3 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 5 glasses of water or vegetable stock

Method

  1. 01

    Frying the Northern Base. Heat groundnut oil in a wide pot. Add sliced onion and fry 2 minutes. Add dawadawa and fry 2 minutes — it will release a deep, savoury aroma. Add mushrooms and fry 4 minutes. Add blended Atarodo and ground ginger. Fry 6 minutes.

  2. 02

    Adding the Kuka. Add the ground kuka powder and stir immediately. Pour in 5 glasses of water or vegetable stock gradually while stirring continuously. The kuka will thicken the soup and turn it olive-green.

  3. 03

    Seasoning and Simmering. Add ground crayfish, seasoning cubes and salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. The soup should be thick, draw-like and deeply earthy from the kuka. Taste and adjust.

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