Ji Mmiri Oku is a yam pepper soup specially prepared for new mothers. Making clean the womb and making it contract during pregnancy was believed.
Ingredients
- 1kg (2.2 lbs) yam (white puna yam)
- 2 Cameroon peppers
- 3 cuts dry Mangala fish
- 1 tablespoon dry cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon uziza seeds (false cubeb)
- 5 uziza leaves (false cubeb)
- 5 utazi leaves (gongronema latifolium)
- 15 pods uda (grains of selim)
- ½ teaspoon ogiri Igbo (castor seed paste)
- Salt (to taste)
Before you cook Ji Mmiri Oku
- Blend the cameroon peppers, uda, uziza and dry cayenne pepper with a dry mill.
- Soak the fish in cool water till soft, clean and debone.
- Rinse and slice the uziza leaves and utazi leaves. Keep separatelly.
- Peel and cut the yam tuber into half circle and wash with cool water.
Cooking Directions
- Put the yam pieces into a pot.
- Add the dry spices, deboned fish, ogiri Igbo, salt and pour water to cover the yams and start cooking.
- Cook till you can easily drive a knife into the yams.
- When that happens, add the uziza leaves and continue cooking.
- Finally add the utazi leaves, stir very well and take the pot off the fire.
