AUTHENTIC URHOBO UKODO RECIPE – YAM/PLANTAIN PEPPER SOUP POTTAGE

Small small I am beginning to unleash my Niger-Delta Recipes…I don’t know why it took this long. Today’s recipe is called Ukodo in Delta : simply yam and unripe plantain pepper soup porridge. Sometimes I add the unripe plantain, other times I don’t. It’s delicious either way! I 100% percent believe that the most original pepper soup recipe and ingredients come from Delta, if you’ve not tasted any from that area then you should. Authentic 100% ! Una know say I be areaaaaaaaaa!

I went to the market a few weeks ago to buy “pepersoup” spices…it was mostly mallams selling them, the taste was not it at all…I bought from other stalls in the market (Balogun market,) still not authentic so I begged my mommy to send me the original spices from Warri which is what I used to make this…I can’t have it any other way. Ukodo is the best companion in cold seasons.

Ukodo is my top 10 simple recipe, boiling egg is on that list too (see how simple it is?) All you need is :

Iwo/Ehuru (10) (that’s what gives the pepper soup aroma)
Urheri /Uda (2) (you take out the seed and discard)

Umilo/Ulima (2 )

Ataiko/Atariko 1/2 tsb (this looks similar to irugeje that’s why I had to give you this close up view)

Irugeje (21/2 tsb)

Lemon grass/scent leave (optional)

Ground crayfish
Yam
Seasoning cubes
Salt

Ground pepper

Goat/ram meat (I prefer ram but goat is easily accessible than ram. I got a lot of ram meat from my grandma this Sallah so I made good use of it. You can add bits of ponmo/chicken/dry fish if you have)

Ataiko/Atariko

Irugeje

Iwo/Ehuru

Urheri/Uda

Umilo

Ground pepper, maggi seasoning, ground crayfish, cut yam

PREPARATION

Cut goat/ram meat in small pieces and place in a pot to boil, season as usual. By the way, what’s your “usual” for seasoning beef/meat/chicken? Comment below.

Crack open the Umilo, Gbafilo and Iwo, blend the contents alongside ataiko and irugeje. I also add a bit of ground crayfish so that it blends easily (dry blending).

When meat is half way done, cut up chunks of yam and plantain, add to the pot with the meat inside so it cooks together…

Add your ground spices- pepper, ataiko, irugeje, iwo, umilo, gbafilo, crayfish and de-seeded Urheri into the pot as well…by now the whole house should be “tasonsoning” meaning, the aroma should envelop the house. I love the aroma!