This recipe is one of my favourite Yoruba vegetable soups. We usually don’t cook this much in the house but I found interest in preparing it. The first time I ever tasted it was years back during a house event. Rich with lots of meats, ponmo and others. Well, that was when I found interest in preparing Efo Riro all because I loved it. Back to the main work of the day.
What is Efo Riro?
Efo Riro is a native soup or stew that originated in western Nigeria. “Efo” in Yoruba means leafy vegetable and “Riro” means to stir. You can already imagine what these two words mean together. This soup is prepared with 3 main ingredient which includes palm oil, green vegetable known as Efo Tete or Efo Shoko and Iru(locust beans). All of these main ingredients are what add a special taste and flavour to the soup/stew.
In a situation where palm oil is not available, vegetable oil can be used. For those on diet, you can use vegetable oil that is low in calories. Feel free to use any preferred cooking oil. The real local method of preparing it with palm oil. The palm oil is usually heated and it gives it a special aroma and taste.
The interesting thing about this soup is that it can be cooked with any type of protein like beef, assorted, goat meat, chicken, turkey even pomo, smoked/dry fish, stock fish and prawns can be used. All of these ingredients are what makes it rich and nutritious.
Tomatoes can also be added but it is optional with different peppers like the scotch bonnet, and red bell pepper (Tatashe). The peppers are blended roughly for this recipe. It is easy to prepare just make sure you follow the instructions.
Ingredients Used For Efo Riro
- 2 bunches Efo tete/Spinach
- 1kg Chicken
- 3 large tomatoes
- 1-2 large onion
- Scotch bonnet pepper(Ata Rodo)
- 2 tablespoon Crayfish
- 5 large red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons Iru(Locust beans)
- Smoked/ dried fish
- prawns (optional)
- Seasoning cubes/powder
- Palm oil/ vegetable oil.
- Ponmo (Cow skin)
- Salt to taste
Preparation
- Thoroughly wash the meat along with ponmo and season with fresh or dry pepper, chopped onions, thyme, seasoning cube/powder and salt to taste. All of these ingredients for seasoning your meat are optional. You can add more or fewer seasonings.
- Cook the meat until it’s tender enough.
- While the meat is boiling, pick your green vegetable(Efo) from the stalk and wash it thoroughly until is totally free from dirt. Then slice the vegetable leaf into big chunks and blanch using hot water.
- Blanching the vegetable helps reduce the excess water. Put your sliced vegetable leaf into a bowl then pour boiled water in it and soak for 2 minutes. Strain out the hot water and rinse with cold water. This cold water helps to stop the cooking process. Now set aside the blanched vegetable.
- Wash and cut your tomatoes, onion, and peppers into the blender and roughly blend them.
- Debone the smoked/dried fish and set aside.
- Wash locust beans(Iru) and set aside
- Chop your onion and set aside.
STEPS IN COOKING EFO RIRO
- Place a pot on a medium hot and add palm oil/vegetable oil, allow to heat for about 3 minutes. You don’t need to bleach your palm oil. Add the chopped onion and stir free for 2 minutes.
- Add the locust beans (Iru) and fry along with the onion. (You can skip adding locust beans(Iru) at this stage until the finishing). I do this sometimes.
- Pour the blended mixture which includes tomatoes, peppers and onion into the oil. Fry until the water dries in this case the oil will come up but don’t forget to stir between intervals to avoid your sauce getting burnt.
- Season with your spices and add the dried/ smoked fish, crayfish, meat ( I used chicken for this recipe)and prawns if you’re using any. Stir and allow to simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the washed green vegetable(Efo) and stir. Â Take off from the heat immediately before the vegetable overcooks and loses its nutrients.
- Â Finally, your Efo Riro is ready to be served!
- Serve with white rice, spaghetti, boiled yam or any swallow of your choice such as semo, poundo, fufu etc.
Believe me, this is one of the best Efo recipes I have ever made. Yummy! very delicious.
Note.
- You can fry or grill your meat for this recipe or as well leave it boiled.
- Using tomatoes is optional. Some people prefer to use only peppers.
- Frying the locust beans(Iru) with the onion is not compulsory. It can as well be added in between the cooking. And for the vegetable, make sure that is blanched this is to reduce the excess water. Be careful when your blanching not to overcook the vegetable in hot water. Rinse out with cold water immediately to stop the cooking process. You don’t want vegetable looking stale when it hasn’t been cooked yet. I love mine looking fresh and yummy.
- For this recipe, I used vegetable oil not because palm oil wasn’t available but because I wanted something different from the usual palm oil recipe.
You may like to view our previous posts;
Ofada stew recipe(how to make Nigeria ofada stew)
How to prepare Vegetable Salad
