Those who have great tastes will be unable to say no to the wholesome delights of chicken curry and editan soup.
These are finger-licking alternatives to consider in the midst of the tomato and pepper scarcity. Plus, these dishes are rich in Vitamin A and they provide other nutritional values.
Come with me to the kitchen and let’s get started.
Chicken curry
Although of Indian origin, chicken curry is fast becoming a taste sensation in many Nigerian homes. It is spicy and delicious.
Prep Time: 1 hr.
Cook Time: 35 mins.
Total Time: 1 hr., 35 mins.
Servings: 4 to 6 persons
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2 medium size carrots
2 medium size onions
3 small seasoning cubes
2 tablespoons of curry powder
2 teaspoons of ginger powder
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1½ tablespoon of corn flour
11⁄2 teaspoon of salt
Method
Wash and cut the chicken breasts into small sizes and put them in a bowl. Add the curry, thyme, black pepper, ginger powder, garlic powder, one tablespoon of salt, two seasoning cubes, and one grated onion. Mix and leave it to marinate for one hour.
Set the red and the green bell peppers aside. Eliminate the seeds and cut them thinly
Rinse the carrots and cut off both edges. Scrap the body of the carrot with a knife until it is clean. Then cut it into small sizes.
Pour some vegetable oil into a saucepan and heat for ten seconds. Add some sliced onions and add the marinated chicken. Leave it for 12 minutes. By then, it is golden brown
Add a cup of water to the fried chicken and boil for five minutes.
Set aside half cup of water and add 1½ tablespoon of corn flour. Stir until it shows a consistent mix.
Set aside another saucepan and add some vegetable oil. Heat for five seconds and add your sliced onions and then curry powder. Stir and fry for one to two minutes
Add your green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and carrot. Then stir it. Add one seasoning cube and a teaspoon of salt to taste. Fry for five minutes.
Pour the fried pepper and veggies into the boiling chicken.
Add little water, one cube of seasoning and salt to taste.
Mix well and cook for eight minutes on medium heat
Add the corn mix and leave for two minutes
Your chicken curry is ready.
Serve with long grain white rice
Editan soup
The editan soup is one of Cross River’s finest and is indigenous to the Efik people. It is made from editan leaf, which is a variant of bitter leaf. Editan soup delivers a unique taste, giving you a lip-smacking experience.
Prep Time: 50 mins.
Cook Time: 51 mins.
Total Time: 1hr., 41 mins.
Servings: 6 persons
Ingredients
250g goat meat
30g cow skin
1 medium size smoked fish
20g stock fish
25g dried fish
5g periwinkle
½ cup palm oil
1 tablespoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon ground crayfish
250g shredded waterleaf
250g shredded editan leaf
5 small seasoning cubes
2 tablespoons salt
Method
Wash the goat meat and stock fish. Place in a pot. Add two seasoning cubes and 1½ tablespoon of salt. Let it cook for 40 minutes. Then, set it aside.
Put your washed cow skin in the pot. Add two cubes of seasoning and salt to taste. Let it cook for 30 minutes. When this is done, shred the cow skin into your preferred size and dispose the stock.
Rinse the editan leaves to remove dirts. Give the leaves a thinly cut. Get a mortar and pestle and pound the editan leaves. It is best to pound rather than blend, so the editan leaves don’t appear smooth
Place the editan leaves in a bowl and add hot water. Leave it for ten minutes. Then, pour the content into a mesh strainer to drain the water.
Add lukewarm water repeatedly into the mesh strainer and drain the water. Repeat this process, until the bitterness is almost completely eliminated.
Cut off the tails of the periwinkles and wash them multiple times until the water is clear. This is somewhat time consuming. In lieu of that, you can use unshelled periwinkle.
Re-introduce your meats and stock into a pot. Add black pepper, ground crayfish, the dry fish, periwinkle, one seasoning cube and salt to taste. Let it simmer for five minutes.
Add palm oil and leave for one minute.
Introduce your washed and shredded waterleaf into the pot and stir with a spatula
Add the editan leaves. Stir and leave it for five minutes
Enjoy your editan soup with any swallow of your choice.
