The other day at the Corps Members' Lodge, I was bored, lonely, and hungry. There was nothing to eat basically because no one was around to cook. We were all away, enjoying our break (school break) which is still on, technically (no thanks to the Ebola outbreak).

...so I decided to make a pot of soup. Being an adventurer and someone that loves to try new things, I decided to cook "something" I've never done before; something out of my imagination. The idea of garden egg-cabbage-egusi soup played on my mind's screen...

Enjoy as you read through the thread...

Name of Dish: Garden egg, Cabbage, and Egusi Soup,

Location: The Corps Members' Lodge in a Remote Village in Ogbadibo LGA, Benue State,

Market (where items were bought): Enugu's Obollo-Afor Market,

Cook: Tonye001.

INGREDIENTS:

Clean water, salt, dry pepper, some cubes of maggi, palm oil, garden eggs, grounded egusi, cabbage, crayfish, bitter leaves, onions, fresh fish (iced), ogba (or ogiri).


....to be continued

The Fish: Fresh, steamed, and fried...

Looking real spicy.
Really makin me hungry.



Some ftc tinz .
Wow after one month and still made fp diaris God o

The ogba (as I know it), bitter leaves (washed), and egusi

The garden egg...

...Continued

PREPARATION PROCEDURE

1. Ensure that there is enough kerosine in your stove,

2. Wash your pots, spoons, and other utensils to be used,

2. Prepare the fish and wash it thoroughly,

3. Put the washed fish into a clean pot; add some water and place the pot on moderate heat,

4. Add your sliced onion(s), some salt, dry pepper, and a cube of maggi,

5. Allow to heat for 15-20 minutes..

While waiting for the fish to be done:

6. Wash bitter leaves and drain the bitter juice until the desired level of bitterness is achieved,

7. Wash the garden eggs,

8. Carefully grate the garden eggs,

9. Wash cabbage thoroughly and slice it into desired form...

When the fish is done:

10. Remove steamed fish from the water and set the water aside,

11. Fry the fish with groundnut or palm oil (I used palm oil),

12. Place a clean dry pot on the stove,

13. Add a moderate amount of palm oil and allow to heat,

14. Pour the grounded egusi into the hot oil and stir properly,

15. Add the water you used to steam the fish and stir again,

16. Add some more water until the desired quantity is gotten,

17. Add the crayfish and spice (salt, dry pepper, maggi)...

CAUTION!!: Do not forget that the water used in steaming the fish is already spiced.

18. Allow to boil for about 6-7 minutes (stir every 2-3 minutes),

19. Add ogba, stir and allow to boil for another 5-6 minutes,

20. Add garden egg, stir and allow to boil for about 2 minutes,

21. Add cabbage and washed bitter leaves and stir thoroughly,

22. Add the fried fish and allow to boil for about 1-2 minutes.

23. Food is ready; carefully remove your soup from heat..

24. Serve with eba, pounded yam, semovita, wheat, amala, etc...

My cooking environment..(I had to make do with what was available at the lodge),

The water I used to steam the fish...

I ate mine with eba and a can of malt...

Wooooooooooooooow
Looks appetizing
Good job

MY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

1. The soup was thick and heavy. This may be due to the grated garden eggs, the ogba, and of course, the egusi...

2. The soup had a "seedy" appearance which was obviously due to the garden eggs used,

3. There was a unique, pleasing taste the garden eggs offered, it gave the egusi a different taste from the usual,

4. The overall taste of the soup was FANTASTIC! (as confirmed by my colleagues).


Conclusion: I may not be wrong if I call myself an Experimentalist. I love trying out new things...just for the fun of it.

My garden eggs, cabbage, and egusi soup stunt was a huge success. In fact, one of my colleagues had to eat it twice that evening!

I encourage fellow Nairalanders to give this a try at home, I'm sure you all would enjoy it.

Nairalanders, over to you... Your comments please...

Moderators, kindly help me push this to the Frontpage, please... Thanks, in advance..

Justeenaleo: Wooooooooooooooow
Looks appetizing
Good job

Lolz... Thank you.

Richhommie: Looking real spicy.
Really makin me hungry.

Lolz...

OP try sha.

obi4eze:

sholay2011: OP try sha.

Abi o...

Thanks Sir...

l will have this someday.

Wow op..good job. Will try this out.

Neroanna: Wow op..good job. Will try this out.

Great!! Bonne chance at that ma'am..

Waiting to hear back from you...

Nice one there. Looks delicious.

Slimwoody: Nice one there. Looks delicious.

Thanks brother...

Nairalanders, comments!!!

so, you grated the garden egg instead of mashing it?


also, I've never tried it with egusi before, sounds interesting.

Cabbage and bitterleaf..OP, u are surely creative! l remember when l ran out of soup condiments here in Kenya, l assembled cabbage, kale, fish (titus) tomato, crayfish, carrot, ground uziza, onions, pepper & palm oil, ate it with semolina..tasty!

Wow! It looks realy delicious.

tpia1: so, you grated the garden egg instead of mashing it?


also, I've never tried it with egusi before, sounds interesting.

Yea, I grated the garden eggs...

Trust me, the garden eggs and egusi mixture was the BOMB.. I wouldn't mind repeating the process sef..(my wife would love to have a taste of it....she no gree me rest since I gist her about the soup)..

Pavore9: Cabbage and bitterleaf..OP, u are surely creative! l remember when l ran out of soup condiments here in Kenya, l assembled cabbage, kale, fish (titus) tomato, crayfish, carrot, ground uziza, onions, pepper & palm oil, ate it with semolina..tasty!

Lolz.. Yea, I just love trying new things...

If I begin to gist you of the food mixtures wey I don chop just to get a feel of the unique tastes wey them fit offer eh...lolz..(Story for another day).

I trust that you are OK over there at Kenya?..

good one bro you might actually end up a good chef

Davidolives: good one bro you might actually end up a good chef

Mercie...

would definitely try it