HOW TO MAKE EFO-RIRO SOUP

[Gimbiya]

How To Make Efo-Riro Soup


On the menu today is the delicious and mouth-watering Efo –riro served with poundo yam. This is one easy recipe that is perfect for weekend lunch; especially if you are a busy exec that works Mondays to Friday’s, week in week out. What you need is your weekend rest and a quick recipe to keep your family happy. This is just the right recipe for you because it is quick and easy to make, healthy and delicious as well. No hectic preparations and you will get your family happy and satisfied this weekend.

This delicious recipe is one of the very few one pot dishes from the south western Yoruba tribes and it is made with assorted meats, smoked fish, blended pepper mix, Iru and most importantly, green leafy vegetables. The one good thing about this dish is that there are so many variations to it and you can totally make it your own by adding what pleases you into the dish, you can either add assorted meats or only smoked fish and cow skin and it will still come put perfect.

The flavours of this dish are greatly enhanced by the addition of Iru (locust beans), which gives the Efo- riro its distinctive taste and aroma and makes it a highly sort after delicacy 

Let’s cook!


Ingredients 
1) Fresh vegetables (shoko) 1kg 

2) Beef 500g 

3) Cow skin 50g 

4) Red bell peppers 150g 

5) Scotch bonnets ( as desired) 

6) Iru ( locust beans) 

7) Smoked fish 100g 

8) Palm oil 1 cup/75ml 

9) 1 large onions 

10) Seasoning 10g 

11) Salt 2g


 Directions 

1) Prepare all the ingredients by washing them thoroughly 

2) Place your washed assorted meats and kpomo (cowskin) into a clean large pot, add all of the seasoning and salt and allow to steam for 3 minutes before adding in a cup of water into the pot, boil for 25 minutes or until tender



Cooks tip: Stock is not really required in this dish that is why I have added just enough water to tenderize the meats, you want a rich thick sauce to the Efo-riro not a flowing consistency, so add as little water as possible to your dish

3) Blend the peppers and half of the onions into a smooth paste and set this aside 

4) Quickly blanche your washed vegetables and set this aside too 

5) In a clean pot, add in the palm oil and allow to heat for 2 minutes, add in the parboiled beef and fry for 5 minutes.



Cooks tip: this is a totally optional process, if you do not want your beef fried, you can skip this step.

6) Once the beef is fried, quickly add in the other half of the sliced onions into the palm oil, stir quickly because the palm oil is already hot, you do not want the onions charred. 

7) Add in the blended pepper mix, stir frequently and allow to fry for about 7 minutes or until visibly fried 

8) Add in the Iru ( locust beans). This local spice marries all the ingredients, making them one in this dish

(9) Then add in the washed smoked fish.

10) Add the parboiled cow skin with the little stock, add the fried beef and stir this again 

Cooks tip: I have added the smoked fish at the end so it does not scatter, you want big chunks in the dish and it is best to add them in, when the dish is almost ready

11) Once that is done,squeeze out all the water from the blanched Shoko (green vegetables) add this into the pot. you will notice that the vegetables mops up all the fried sauce. stir well and allow to simmer for two minutes and your delicious Efo-riro is ready!!!! 

Serve piping hot with Iyan and have your family licking their fingers this weekend! Watch out for my next delicious post and don’t forget to drop your comments below, I am blessed by them! 


Be inspired!