Ila Alasepo (Ila alasepo)
Overview
Ila alasepo is a rich Yoruba okra soup from south-west Nigeria. Instead of being cooked plain, the chopped okra is cooked in a red base of blended peppers, tomatoes and onion fried in palm oil with fermented locust beans called iru. Assorted meats, smoked fish, shrimp and ground crayfish are added, so the soup is deeply savoury and smoky. The okra is only cooked briefly so that it stays bright green and gives the soup its typical stretchy, slippery texture. It is eaten with swallow foods such as amala, eba or pounded yam.
History
Okra soups are among the oldest dishes of West Africa, where okra has been grown for thousands of years. Ila alasepo, meaning okra cooked with stew, is the special version made for parties and owambe celebrations in Lagos and Ibadan, where it is richer than the plain everyday okra soup. It is a favourite in Yoruba homes and in buka restaurants.
Main ingredients
Okra, palm oil, locust beans (iru), assorted meat and fish, shrimp and crayfish, peppers. The soup is built on palm oil and okra broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Bean soups · Fish and seafood soups · More soups from Nigeria
Recipe
Method
- 1
Boil the meat with onion and seasoning until tender.
- 215 min
Fry the iru in palm oil, add the pepper blend and cook for 15 minutes.
- 310 min
Add the meat, stock, fish and crayfish and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 45 min
Add the okra and shrimp and cook for 5 minutes.
- 5
Serve with amala or eba.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 10m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
