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Ocho beniseed soup
Ocho: the Idoma soup of ground beniseed and leaves with meat, from Benue
Beniseed, the local name for sesame, grows widely in Benue, and the Idoma turn it into ocho: a creamy, nutty soup thickened with the ground seeds, cooked with beef, dried fish and green leaves. It has a gentle, toasty flavour and a slightly grainy, pleasant texture, and it is eaten with pounded yam, often at family gatherings and festive meals. Cooks vary the leaves; spinach or ugu are easy to find. Some families add palm oil and some leave it pale; this version uses a little. Chef's tip: toast the beniseed in a dry pan only until it smells nutty and turns light gold; the common mistake is letting it go brown, which makes the whole pot bitter.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meat
- 1 ½ lb beef chuckcut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 tsp saltto taste
- 4 ¼ cups water
For the soup
- 7 oz beniseed (sesame seeds)hulled
- 3 tbsp red palm oil
- 3 ½ oz smoked dried fishdeboned, rinsed
- 2 tbsp ground crayfish
- 2 scotch bonnet chilliespounded
- 10 ½ oz spinach or ugu leaveswashed and shredded
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Season 1 ½ lb beef chuck with 1 onion, 2 stock cubes and 1 tsp salt in a pot, add 4 ¼ cups water and simmer, covered, until tender.
45 minStep 2: Meanwhile, toast 7 oz beniseed (sesame seeds) in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty and is light gold. Tip onto a plate at once to stop it browning.
5 minStep 3: When cool, grind the seeds in a spice grinder or blender with a few tablespoons of the beef stock to a thick, smooth paste.
5 minStep 4: Add 3 tbsp red palm oil, 3 ½ oz smoked dried fish, 2 tbsp ground crayfish and 2 scotch bonnet chillies to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Stir the beniseed paste into the soup a spoonful at a time so it does not lump. Simmer, stirring often, until the soup thickens to a creamy consistency and smells toasty. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too thick.
10 minStep 6: Stir in 10 ½ oz spinach or ugu leaves and cook until just wilted and tender. Taste for salt and serve with pounded yam.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ocho beniseed soup take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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