Gambian Okra Soup: “Superkanja”
Ingredients:
235g white onions, peeled and quartered
300g portobello mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
5 - 6 habanero peppers
4 extra virgin olive oil (optional)
40g locust bean paste/ netetou
1800ml water
5g oregano leaves with stems
1 ½ tbsp coarse sea salt
½ tsp baking soda or potash
300g green lentils
975g fresh load of okra
2 large nori sheets
Directions:
Thoroughly wash the load of okra and cut of the tops of the okra. Then thinly slice each piece of okra or roughly chop the okra in batches at a time by using a food processor. Store the sliced or roughly chopped okra in the freezer for a later date if preferred.
Sort through the lentils to remove any stony materials and wash the grains thoroughly about twice with fresh water. Then soak the lentils in lots of fresh water to sit overnight or about 20 to 30 minutes before cooking begins.
Add the onions, mushrooms and 2 habaneros peppers (with their stalks removed) to the food processor and grind together on high speed until the combination is well crushed or turns to paste.
To a large cooking pot on high heat, add in the olive oil (skip it if preferred), the paste from the food processor and the locust bean paste.
Stir the contents in the pot well and let them sauté for about 7 minutes to intensify their aroma.
Add in the oregano (both leaves and stems) and coarse sea salt, then stir well and sauté the contents for another 4 to 5 minutes.
Rinse the interior of the food processor with some water and pour the water into the cooking pot together with the remaining amount of water for the recipe. Stir the contents well and cover the pot slightly to prevent the contents from overflowing while they boil for 14 to 15 minutes.
Next add in the sliced okra, stir the pot and bring the contents to a boil for about 7 minutes. Then wash the soaking lentils and drain them.
Add the baking soda or potash to the cooking contents and stir it in quickly so that the contents do not overflow.
Then gently pour in the drained lentils and reduce the heat to medium so the lentils cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils cook through.
Meanwhile, aim to fish out as many as the oregano stems as possible and continue the cooking process.
Add in 3 to 4 whole habanero peppers to the soup to lend their aroma to the soup instead of releasing spice. Feel free to crush in the habanero peppers if more spice is needed for the soup.
Taste the soup to adjust any seasonings and ensure the lentils are cooked through.
Cut the nori sheets in very small pieces and add it to the cooking pot. Stir it in well, cook for another minute so the nori sheets get a chance to infuse their fishy taste in the okra soup.
Turn off the heat and serve the okra soup with rice, fufu or boiled plantains.
