FOOD PORN - AFANG SOUP

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I have been talking about food a lot these days, especially local dishes common to the people of the lower Niger in West Africa. Today I am going to let you in on a food that is by far the most widely consumed of all foods in this part of the world. If you are not from Calabar/Akwa Ibom, South Nigeria, you are literally missing out!

Good thing is that you do not need to be in these lands to enjoy this delicacy.

The food I am going to teach us how to prepare is called AFANG SOUP. Afang soup is prepared from its leaves(Gnetum africanum)

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WHAT YOU NEED
• Afang leaves
• Water leaf vegetables
• Meat
• Stock fish
• Perewinkles
• Ground crayfish
• Pepper, Salt and Maggi spice
• Red palm oil
• Cooking utensils

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PREPARATION

• Thoroughly rinse the afang and water leaves in clean water respectively.

• Chop afang leaves into very tiny strands. Do same for water leaves.

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• Thoroughly ground the cut afang leaves to form a sticky paste. Keep aside.

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• Boil the meat together with the fish and cut periwinkles. Be sure these are all thoroughly washed and seasoned appropriately. Allow to boil for about 20-25 minutes. If you pre-cooked your shelled periwinkles, this need not take long.

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• Now add the cut water leaves and stir. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes.

• Add the ground afang leave paste.

• Add ingredients i.e pepper, salt, maggi spice, crayfish (make sure crayfish is generously added). Add and stir.

• Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes before adding red palm oil. Don't spare! Make sure you enough of oil. The sweetness depends on it.

• Cook for about 10-15 minutes. You should perceive the killer aroma jetting out of the pot and enveloping the kitchen!

• Take off fire once done.

• Serve with garri (eba) or preferably, fufu. Should you want to know more about Eba or fufu, click here and here

Source: cookpad.com

Afang soup is highly nutritious and contains high dietary fiber. This helps in weight loss and constipation. The waterleaf component of Afang soup helps to slow down the digestion and conversion of starch to simple sugars. This makes Afang soup useful in managing diabetes. Also, afang soup is a good source of Vitamin C and contains a lot of anti-oxidants.

THANKS FOR READING!