HOW TO MAKE OFE NSALA (WHITE SOUP)

By MODUPEOLUWA ADEKANYE

28 March 2021   |   7:00 am

How to Make Ofe Nsala (White Soup)

Ofe Nsala is a delicacy peculiar to the Igbo tribe of Nigeria, especially the people of Anambra state. Ofe Nsala is known as white soup because palm oil is not used for the preparation, unlike other traditional soups.

While it is traditionally made with catfish, one can also make use of chicken as in the case of the recipe below:

Ingredients
Chicken
Small sized raw Yam cubes OR Yam Powder
1 handful chopped Utazi Leaves/uziza
3 tablespoonful ground Crayfish
1 medium chopped onion
20 g smoked/dry fish
3 medium yellow pepper (habanero)
2 Stock/Seasoning cubes (maggi, knorr etc)
Salt

Method
Properly wash the chicken, smoked and dry fish and set aside. Season and cook the chicken with the dried fish, adding onions, seasoning cube and salt to taste. Cook until done.

Peel the yam cubes and boil until soft, then pound to a smooth paste, using a mortar and pestle.

In the absence of a mortar and pestle, you can place the cooked yam in a food processor/blender, add a little hot water and blend until smooth.

Now add the yam paste bit by bit and leave the soup to cook until the paste is completely dissolved, and the chicken is well done. Now, add the pepper, crayfish, and smoked fish

Finally, add the utazi/uziza leaves, taste for salt, and simmer for 30 seconds.

The nsala soup is ready.