White soup or Ofe Nsala as commonly called by Eastern Nigerians is a meal famous in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. It is called white soup because it is made with no oil.
White soup have its major components being yam and catfish. However, you can use any other proteins of your choice for cooking, although catfish is an essential requirement. Ofe nsala is a bit similar to the Efik soup called Afia Efere, but the extra condiments make it different from Nsala.
In the Igbo culture this soup is made slightly different from the Efiks. In the Igbo version, we use Uziza, Utazi, uda and ogiri okpei(fermented locust bean paste) and for the Efik version, there is the use of crayfish and the Uyayak pod ie Aiden fruit.
But in the recipe below we will be preparing white soup the igbo way using catfish;
Ingredients
- 1 Catfish
- Fresh or dry Utazi Leaves
- Raw White Yam (Used as a thickener)
- 2 tsp of crayfish
- 4 Red chilli pepper (depends on how spicy you want it to be)
- 1 Ogiri Okpei (Nigerian traditional seasoning)
- 1 seasoning cube
- Salt (to taste)
Directions
- Cut the catfish into thick cylindrical discs wash and remove the intestines. Place in bowl and pour very hot water on the fish. This process of pouring hot water on the fish toughens the skin of the fish so that the pieces do not disintegrate while cooking the soup. Leave for about 2 minutes and wash the fish with cold water. You should also wash off any slimy substance on the outer skin of the fish at this time.
- Peel, cut and wash the raw white yam. Then boil a few cubes of raw white yam. When soft, pound with a mortar and pestle till a smooth paste is formed, then set aside. You can substitute white yam with yam powder or potato puree for the thickening.
- Wash and pound/blend the utazi leaves, the chilli pepper and the crayfish and set aside. Utazi is bitter in taste and only used for flavouring so one or two leaves should be enough especially when using the fresh leaves.
- Place the catfish in a pot and pour enough water to cover the fish. Add the seasoning and cook till done. Feel free to add beef and dry fish to this soup recipe.
- When the catfish is almost done, add the crayfish, pepper and utazi leaves blend. Also add the yam paste in small lumps and salt to taste
- Cover the pot and allow the contents to cook at high heat till all the yam paste have dissolved. While cooking, if you think that the yam paste will make the soup too thick, you can remove some that are yet to dissolve.
It is best served with pounded yam or any swallow of your choice.
