I went to my Mum’s house some days ago, as shee opened the door, as I entered I immediately asked where this aroma was coming from, my mum told me she just cooked efo riro with pounded yam and was about to start eating when I knocked. Quickly went to wash my hands, started eating, finished four wraps in a sitting. She said she was going to teach me how to make it because she saw that I loved it and was licking the bowl. I just said to her you know Mama’s food is always the best.
How to prepare Efo riro
The three ingredients you must use to prepare efo riro if you want it the Yoruba way are locust beans, smoked or dried fish, and palm oil. Everything you choose to add after the main components just serves to enhance it. To make the vegetable soup, you’ll also need pepper that has been coarsely ground.
Efo tete, or bunches of green vegetables, can be substituted with either frozen or fresh spinach. Tatashe red bell peppers Locust beans (Iru woro), onions, palm oil, and Scotch bonnet chiles Dried smelt fish, or shawa/palamu Diced and cleaned, smoked mackerel and smoked ponmo Crayfish on the ground, Seasoning and salt
For this recipe, we are going to be using dried ponmo that had been smoked, but you can use fresh ones if you want. Soak the dry ones in warm water for a minimum of 36 to 48 hours if you plan to use them. Clean the ponmo and set it aside. Remove the veggie from the stem and cut it into large pieces. Vegetables should be cleaned, drained, and placed aside.
After washing, put locust beans aside. Chop one onion, save it, and Additionally, shred the smoked fish reserve. Cut the onions and bell pepper (tatashe) coarsely, then put them to a blender and pulse to get a coarse texture (you may also use a food processor to get an exact coarse texture.
Heat the palm oil in a pan over medium heat for approximately five minutes, being careful not to burn it. Iru woro and chopped onions come next, and they are fried in oil for roughly two minutes. After around three minutes, add the remaining locust beans to the palm oil along with the blended pepper and swirl to mix. Add the ground crayfish and diced ponmo and simmer over low heat for an additional three to four minutes.
Add a dash of salt and spice. (Check for salt towards the end of cooking) Boil enough water to cover the vegetable while you wait for the sauce to cook. Pour boiling water over the vegetable and let it sit for five to ten minutes, covered with a lid. Squeeze and strain the veggie to remove any extra water.
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Stir in half of the smoked fish and the dried smelt fish after the sauce has cooked until oil floats on top. (If the sauce seems too dry, you can thin it out with a little water; however, don’t add too much, as efo riro is practically waterless.) When adding the veggie to the sauce, mix everything together thoroughly. Stir in the veggies and add the remaining smoked mackerel. After four more minutes of cooking, check for salt. Remove from the heat and place aside. You can even eat efo riro soup by itself or serve it over rice or another preferred.
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