By Yewande Komolafe, The New York Times
The ingredients I love all share one thing: They stir my desire to experience them in every form. Okra, a plant from the mallow family found across the tropical parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and North America, falls right in that category.
When okra appears at the farmers’ market each spring, I am reminded of its many joys. If you’ve come across the plant, you’ll notice its thick stems studded with flowering buds and large, broad leaves. The flowers, striking and beautiful, range from pale yellow to shades of pink and bloom only for a single day, then fall off to reveal nodes that sprout into the finger length, star-shaped fruit we’ve come to know and love.
I find myself craving it, roasted in a hot oven until crispy and brown in spots; spread in a skillet in an even layer over a hot flame until seared and lightly charred; and bathed in hot oil to fry into shatteringly crunchy nibbles. But my favorite preparation — and okra’s simplest form — is in a soup, specifically a draw soup.
In West and Central Africa, many soups and stews are built on vegetables, fruits or seeds that add an elemental viscosity, an incredible (and sometimes startling) stretchiness described as “draw.” Éwèdu soup, for example, uses a leafy green vegetable with a sublime pull. There’s ogbono soup, which uses àpọ̀n, a type of ground wild mango seed with a similar heft, and ìlà àlàsèpò, which uses the okra fruit and means “okra cooked together.” All possess this magnificent quality.
Growing up in Lagos, I knew okra as just ìlá, its name in Yorùbá, which can also refer to any soup from southwest Nigeria where okra is the star ingredient. For this take on draw soup, I let okra lead. With that in mind, you’ll want to find the freshest okra, which is essential to this dish’s success. But if you can’t find it — or don’t have time to get the plump, ripened pods from farm stand to pot before they start turning woody — then frozen will do just fine.
The dish begins with okra pods, chopped into confetti-like bits and releasing their fragrant grassy notes with every cut. They’re then brought to a simmer over low heat. Whole bean írù or dawadawa powder (both fermented locust beans) and dried crayfish season the broth with a robust umami.
Of course, okra loves balance, and here, plump, saline shrimp accentuate its heft. Fresh chopped spinach leaves wilt lovingly into the soup when added. A finish of red palm oil melts, slicking and coating all in the path of its gentle flow and complimenting okra’s springy bounce. Itap also essential for adding a creamlike richness to the soup. This recipe guides you toward an essential balance of textures and a layering of flavors that are evident within each spoonful. When served with a starchy swallow or a simple steamed grain, the soup is a delight, a full meal to ease you into the next moment in your day.
Your ìlá can be yours to define. Add meat, tripe, smoked fish or roasted mushrooms. Your goal is to understand okra’s flexibility, to grasp what it can or can’t do. Whether okra is new to you or a staple of your spring and summer soups, with this recipe itap yours to discover multiple times over.
Recipe: Ìlá (Okra Soup With Shrimp and Greens)
Okra, a warm-weather favorite across the tropical regions of Africa, Southeast Asia and North America, is special for the texture it imparts to any dish. The elongated, star-shaped ribbed pods are popular spring and summer vegetables. When they are chopped and simmered over low heat, the pieces soften and release their signature elastic bounce. For this recipe, the okra is cooked with both whole-bean írù (fermented locust beans) and dried crayfish for a robust umami note. The savory sauce eventually surrounds plump saline shrimp and wilted spinach leaves with a ferocious, stretchy density. A finish of floral red palm oil complements, adding a delicate, creamy richness to the brothy soup. Serve hot in a bowl with a starchy swallow or any fluffy steamed grain for a substantial and delicious quick lunch or dinner.
By Yewande Komolafe
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh okra (4 1/2 cups), stem ends trimmed, cut cross-wise into 1-inch rounds
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon whole-bean írù (fermented locust beans), soaked to rehydrate and drained, or 1 tablespoon dawadawa powder (see Tip)
- 1 tablespoon dried, ground crayfish (see Tip)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 pound fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach (7 cups), coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon red palm oil (see Tip)
- Fufu (Swallows) or white rice, for serving
Preparation
1. In a food processor, pulse the okra to a confetti-like consistency (1-second pulses, about 2 to 3 times). Small and large pieces of okra and seeds should still be visible. Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife to chop.
2. In a medium pot set over medium heat, bring water to a simmer. Add the írù and the dried crayfish. Stir to just combine and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the okra and salt, and return to a simmer. Cook until the okra just begins to turn bright green and the liquid is cloudy, bubbling and frothy, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp, stirring to disperse and evenly coat. Cook until shrimp is tender and bright pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and stir. Taste and season lightly with more salt if necessary.
3. Cook until greens are warmed through and wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the red palm oil. Serve alongside a starchy swallow or steamed white rice.
Tips
Írù, aka dawadawa, is a fermented locust bean from the pods of a perennial deciduous tree that grows across West Africa. When the seeds are harvested and fermented, they lend the cuisine a notable robust, and savory depth. The beans can be found in their whole, dried or ground form at African, Caribbean and some international grocery stores and are typically stored in the freezer section or on shelves in individually labeled and sealed packs.
Dried ground crayfish is a savory ingredient made from a tiny shrimp common in waterways across the African continent. The crayfish are harvested, dried and then often ground into flakes. A little goes a long way, and itap used often in West African cooking. The dried shrimp can be found whole or ground form at African, Caribbean and some international grocery stores. Itap typically stored at room temperature in airtight packaging. If using whole dried crayfish, use a greater amount (about 3 tablespoons), soak and drain prior to adding to the soup.
The palm tree is an Indigenous species that grows in tropical regions of West and central Africa. It produces large spikey bunches which become heavy with fruit that comes as fleshy, bright red kernels. When harvested, picked and fermented, the bulby flesh is pressed of its oil. The resulting floral, orange-hued oil is used in cooking and lends a notable, floral depth and color that West African cuisine is known for. Red palm oil can be found stored at room temperature in glass or plastic jars at African, Caribbean and some international grocery stores. It is a soft solid at room temperature and melts easily once heated.
This article originally appeared in .
