Okra Soup
Okra Soup (FetriDessi) is one of the most popular and easy-to-prepare West African soups. The setup takes a lot of time. The okra needs to be washed and grated; the leaves (Gboma or Ogbono) needs to be washed and cut them roughly. Subsequently prepare the meat, smoked or dried fish and shellfish. Once the setup is finished, cooking is fast.
The Okra Soup can be prepared with mutton, beef, chicken or pork. Here is the step by step to cook the meat. For fish, we can use smoked Mackerel, fried tilapia, douevi … for crustaceans, we can use crab, octopus, crayfish, shrimp …
Okra is a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins, as well as a low-calorie vegetable. Known in most West African countries as Okro and French speaking countries as gumbo. I used red oil for recipe. You can also cook the okra with tomato sauce or cook the okra dry.
Serve hot Okra soup with Makoume, Ewokoume, Ougali (Ugali), Ablo (ou Ablo simplified), Kenkey (ou Kenkey simplified), gari or rice.
Fétri dessi (Okra Soup)
- ½ lbs chopped goat
- 1/4 lbs beef skin
- To season the meat
- 1/2 sliced onion
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 2 tablespoon garlic
- 1 cube
- 1 Bay leave
- Salt to taste
- 2½ cups of freshly chopped Okra
- 10 fresh shrimps
- 2 fresh crabs
- 1 piece of salted fish (Lanhounhoun)
- 5 Douèvi
- 2 chopped Habanero peppers
- 1 cup of palm oil
- 2 tsp dry grounded pepper or chili flakes
- 2 cup meat stock
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 onion
- 1 cube
- Salt to taste
- Mix the meat and the spices and add enough water to cover the meat. Cook until the meat is tender. PS the beef skin may cook faster that the goat meat, remove it and set aside.
- Fry the goat meat
- Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Add the baking soda.
- Then add the Okra, 1/2 onion + 1 piece of salted fish and the 1 cup meat stock.
- Mix together 1 cup meat stock with 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon paprika and 1 cube.
- Add the shrimp, crabs and the seasoning mixture.
- Add the hot pepper, Douèvi , beef skin and the goat meat and stir well.
- Let the soup cook uncovered for about 5-10minutes. Check for seasonings and add the palm oil.