How to make Edikaikong Soup

Hello People,

It's been a minute, I have been pretty busy these days. Will try my best not too "disappear" for too long.
Edikaikong or Vegetable soup originates from the Efik People of Akwaibom and Cross River States. This soup is made with a generous amount of Vegetables which makes it one of my favorite Nigerian Soups. Ugu leaves (Fluted Pumpkin) are very low in calories and contain no saturated fats or cholesterol. Studies have shown that when the essential nutrients are not destroyed, it has the capacity to increase red blood cells within a short period of time. They are a rich source of Minerals like Iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins K, C, E and many of the B Vitamins.

A plate of Edikaikong soup

Ingredients:
Ugu leaves (Fluted Pumpkin)
Water leaves
2 cooking spoons Palm Oil
2 cooking spoons of Crayfish
A hand full of Dry prawns (Oporo)
Fresh pepper (Grinded)
1 kg of Beef
1/2 kg of Shaki
200g of Kpomo  (Chopped)
100g of stock fish (Okporoko)
Seasoning
Salt to taste

Direction:
1. Wash water leaves and ugu leaves thoroughly and drain in separate sieves.
2.Wash, season & boil beef and shaki. The volume of water used in boiling the beef should just be enough to cook it. The stock produced will be used as the base for the soup, and Edikaikong soup needs very little water cos of the water leaves.
Just before the beef is tender, add kpomo and stock fish, cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add the palmoil into the pot of beef, allow to dissolve into the stock, then add fresh pepper, stir, allow to cook for 5minutes. Add the water leaves, salt and  crayfish, stir and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add Ugu leaves, stir and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and Voila!

Enjoy hot with Eba, Semovita, Pounded yam, Wheat or any other swallow of your choice. It can also be eaten with White Rice.

N/B: Edikaikong is usually cooked with Perewinkle (Isam) (with the shell) but didn't use it here, cos I couldn't get at the Market (I live in the Northern part of Naija), it's not very common here unlike in the South-South.  If you use Perewinkle, you add it at the same time with your water leaves.

Top L-R: Water Leaves, Ugu leaves
Down L-R: Dry prawns, Pepper, Stock cubes and stock fish

Chopped kpomo

Eba and Edikaikong soup

Kitchen Tips:
* The water leaves should be more than the pumpkin leaves, in a ratio of 2:1
*Ensure you squeeze the water leaves properly before putting in the sieve to drain as much water as possible else this will make your soup watery.
* Don't over cook the leaves as overcooking tends to kill the nutrients in the Vegetables
*Edikaikong doesn't like water, so remove the excess stock from the beef before you start cooking the soup.

Regards,
Nitie

*Always wash your hands before and after handling food items.