Ofe Nsala is one Igbo soup I don't and can't joke with. The taste and mixture of different kinds of edible proteins make me so passionate about it. It's one dish you will eat and chew, chewing different kinds of meat till you are done, coupled with the aroma of the uzizi leaves that give the soup a palatable taste.
The cultural significance is another thing that makes me love the soup. It's the first among all that holds a special spot in the hearts of the Igbos. Even non-Igbos know that Nsala soup is one of the Igbos' delicacies that can't be missed in Igbo traditional ceremonies. On occasion, this soup is one of the soups prepared to serve the guests.
This is my favorite because it is not complex to prepare, and it comes with lots of meat and an amazing taste. This is one soup that doesn't require the use of oil. With you, you are good to go. Some tribes call it white soup because of the milky color that comes out after the preparation.
Recipe:
Cooking ofe nsala is easy to prepare. The only thing required to make it tasty is lots of meat. With meat, yam, fat, cow intestines, and other meat choices, leave, cubes, pepper, and salt.
How to prepare:
The first is to steam the meat. After steaming, add the quantity of water that would be okay for the soup. After enough water has been added, allow it to boil. In the boiling process, you can add the cut yam to the same water until it softens. After it softens, get them off the meat water and blend or pound the yam.
After the yam has been pound, set it aside, add all the necessary ingredients to the stock water, and cook for a few minutes. Then, in a tiny ball shape, add the pounded yam to the boiling stock water, after which you cover the pot.
After the yam balls have all dissolved, smile and take a taste because your soup is a second away from getting ready. Next, add either uziza seed or the leaves. I personally prefer the leaf because I love seeing the green color of the leaves in the soup, and the seed gives the soup a lot of flavor, which I don't like. Then allow it to cook and taste if everything needed is in moderation. Remember, the pounded yam, which dissolves in the stock water, is what thickens the soup and forms the nsala soup?
Once it is down from the fire, you can eat with any swallow of your choice. I love enjoying mine with Garri or Fufu.
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