Ila Alasepo
Abuja, Nigeria · View all recipes
Overview
Ila alasepo is one-pot okra soup, and the name explains it exactly. Ila is okra in Yoruba and asepo means to cook together, so ila alasepo is okra cooked together with everything else rather than served alongside a separate stew. That distinction carries a social history the contributor is frank about. In the conventional Yoruba arrangement, okra is served plain with a stew on the side, and the two arrive as separate things. Putting the stew ingredients into the okra itself was, in their grandmother's account, what you cooked when money was short, and it was considered the lesser dish among wealthier households. It has since shed that association entirely and is now made for convenience and because people like it. Viscosity is what okra soup is judged on. How much it draws determines whether it is considered good, and akaun, the traditional potash, is added specifically to increase it. This version deliberately loads the pot with proteins, beef or assorted meat, fresh fish, prawns and crayfish, which the contributor describes as turning a lesser soup into a rich one. It is eaten with eba, cassava fufu or semo, and the drawing texture is what makes the swallow slide.
AFN Heritage Note
Ila alasepo takes its name from the Yoruba ila, meaning okra, and asepo, meaning to cook together. It is distinguished from conventional Yoruba okra soup, which is served with a separate stew.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Put the red bell pepper, scotch bonnet chillies and onion in a blender, purée and set aside.
- 2
Chop or process the okra and set aside. Cut the meat or fish into manageable chunks.
- 3
Place a pan on medium heat, add the palm oil and heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the puréed pepper. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 4
Check regularly and stir so it does not catch. Add the seasoning cube and salt, then the fresh prawns and fish, or the meat, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- 5
Take the fish and prawns out into a bowl and continue cooking the sauce on low heat, leaving any meat in.
- 6
In a separate pan on medium heat, add 1 1/2 cups of water and the locust beans and bring to the boil, about 3 minutes.
- 7
Add the chopped okra and stir vigorously to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes and reduce the heat. Add the potash here if using.
- 8
Add the cooked stew to the okra and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the salt and seasoning.
- 9
Add the ground crayfish and return the fish and prawns, stirring carefully.
- 10
Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, turn off the heat and serve with a swallow of your choice.
Africook’s Notes
- Take the fish and prawns out while the sauce reduces and return them at the end. Left in, they disintegrate.
- How much the okra draws is what the soup is judged on. Chopping by hand gives more draw than a food processor, which cuts too cleanly.
- Akaun, the traditional potash, is added specifically to increase viscosity. It is optional and should be used sparingly.
- Do not overcook the okra. A few minutes is enough; longer and it loses both colour and draw.
- Add the okra to boiling water rather than cold, and stir vigorously as it goes in.
- Eba, cassava fufu and semo are the standard partners. The drawing texture is what makes the swallow go down easily.
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