Here are some things that happened while we were filming this Eru recipe:
- A part of my blouse that wasn't supposed to show poked out while I was doing the intro
- My wig chose to show its age
- I started with both earrings on, I ended with only one earring on
So if you see me with only one earring towards the end of the video, know that it is not swag. The earring's sister fell and refused to be reattached.
Now that we have that pout of the way, let me just say I am excited to be bringing you one of my favourite things to cook of all time. I've probably made this 4000 times in my life. Good heavens, it is delicious and everyone in my immediate and extended family is a fan. Eru is a forest plant which is scientifically called Gnetum africanum. Yes, I stole that from Wikipedia. It is called okazi or ukazi in Nigeria. Some Central African countries call it koko (thank you, Wiki!)
Eru is cooked in different ways including simmering with groundnut or cooking with waterleaf (or spinach). The Eru and waterleaf method is the most popular way it is made in Cameroon. The meal originates from the Manyu people of the South West region of Cameroon. I must note that the Manyu people Southern Cameroon are very similar to the people of Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom states in Nigeria. Hence this dish bears a striking similarity to the Nigerian Afang soup and/or Edika Ikong. If you ask me, I will say this is where Afang and Edika meet.
Hint: This smoked meat is divine in Eru.
I do not know if I should refer to Eru as a soup or as a vegetable or what? Please help me here, people. It is not quite a "soup" but it is often eaten with a starchy side like garri or water fufu (similar to akpu). These are both products of the root food, cassava.
Eru has a very ethnic taste that is hard to describe. You just have to try it for yourself! In the days of shoot-recipe-with-phone, I shared an epic eru recipe titled "The Best Eru Recipe Ever". You should check it out if you haven't done so already.
When cooking eru, I love making the vegetables soft so they marry easily with the fufu in the mouth. Watch me making some below and don't forget the earring part.
Eru
Ingredients
- 8 cups dry eru/okazi (packed) or 5 cups of fresh 250g
- 10 cups chopped waterleaf or spinach or less if using fresh eru 280g
- 1 ½ cups crayfish (lightly blended)
- 1 ½ cups palm oil (325 ml)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds (about 1 kg) of a variety of boiled meat with a cup of stock- I used beef, beef skin (canda) and beef tripes
- ½ pound fish (I used stock fish and smoked cat fish)
- 4 small cubes Maggi
- 2 scotch bonnet pepper - blended or whole (optional)
Instructions
- If you are using dried eru/okazi, soak it in warm water for at least 30 minutes before cooking. I usually add a little baking soda (½-11 teaspoon) into the water before soaking so it helps brighten the colour of the eru and softens it. But that is completely optional so you could leave it out.
- Put meat and stock into a large pot. Bring to simmer on medium high heat and let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes until the stock is almost completely dried.
- Add in spinach and let it cook for 5 minutes. It will wilt greatly and release its juices. Stir the spinach and let it cook again for another 5 minutes or less. Do not let the spinach become brown.
- Now rinse the eru thoroughly and add into the spinach. Mix until both vegetables are well incorporated. Pour in the oil and stir well. Let them simmer together for another 5 minutes while you stir from time to time.
- Add in the seasoning cubes (Maggi), pepper (if using), crayfish and fish. Give that a good mix. Let it cook together for about 5 more minutes. At this point, taste the seasoning to ensure it is perfect. Your eru should be moist but not watery. If it is too dry, add some water or oil to make it moist. If it is too soft, let it cook some more so the water dries up.
- Turn off the heat and serve warm with fufu or garri of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Lawrence says
The Manyu people cook it as a vegitable. The Calabar people of Nigeria cook it in a slightly soupy format
Precious says
You are right. My problem is with how to call the vegetable cooked by the Manyu people - in culinary terms.
Olaitan Bobade says
I've never heard of Ukiza before which makes sense cause it's eaten in the East lol. But edikaikong is definitely familiar. Lol @ the earring part.
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Precious says
Lol it's okazi. You should try eru. So delicious!
Olabisi-Viyon says
Can you kindly send the recipe to mail please. I can't wait to ravish this . Merci
Precious says
Hi Olabisi, the full printable recipe is on this post, below the video. Did you see it already?
destiny says
l have a friend from cameroon that made this soup for me this January, she served it with fufu and it was delicious. I really never thought of making it but your recipe will help me when l decide to make it. It seem like to make it you need lots of veggies.lol Am so used to eating just egusi soup, ogbono or okra soup. It's good to think of another one to add to my menu.
Precious says
Awww so nice of your friend.
Yes you need a lot i
of veggies. Lol
Claudia says
Hi, my husband loves the reicipe but says it comes with a slightly bitter aftertaste. I buy the leaves dried from an African store, and soak them at least an hour, sometimes with or without baking powder and rinse and squeeze them before adding to the pot. Any idea what i could do?
Precious says
Hi Claudia, I think the bitter aftertaste might be due to the the eru itself. I prefer getting my eru directly from someone who just came from Cameroon or buying from a Cameroonian store where the eru comes directly from home. I've noticed that some of the eru you will get from African stores has stayed long on counter shelves and doesn't taste good. Try these 2 steps:
1. Soak the eru overnight in warm water and baking soda. Then rinse thoroughly, squeeze and cook.
2. Cook the eru with more crayfish than the recipe requires. Crayfish is the key ingredient in eru and really makes it taste good. Without crayfish, eru is just bleh.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.
Claudia says
Thank you very much!
Claudia says
Hi Precious. I'm still here cooking your reicipes 😉 and i have yet another question. I only have mutton tripe easily available, which turns out to be much thinner, softer and with much less texture. So I'm trying to figure out how to add a strong bite to it, if you know that i mean. Do you have any experience with frying it in the pan or grilling in the oven before adding it at the very end? Or any other ideas what might be delicious?
Precious says
Hi Claudia, always a pleasure to read from you! I have never cooked with mutton tripe but I will suggest grilling it on broil for 10-20 minutes then you can proceed to boiling it. When it is done, take it out and cook the eru before adding it in the end. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else (: