Edikaikong is a Nigerian dish made from a variety of indigenous leafy green vegetables. The dish, literally translated, means ‘Pumpkin and Waterleaf Soup,’ and is native to the South Eastern part of Nigeria, more specifically, the people of Calabar state in that region.
Edikaikong is an incredibly rich vegetable soup as it involves the use of more than two vegetables. Typically, it is made with just Ugwu (Pumpkin leaves) and Waterleaves, however, I prefer to make it with 6 vegetables including the aforementioned two. In addition to it being rich, it is also a very labor intensive soup to make. It’s one of those soups that you make for special occasions or once a month for yourself.
From the way the name sounds, it might seem like a really complicated dish to make, but it really isn’t. If you know how to make regular vegetable soup, Efo riro, then you should be fine with this.
- 4-6 pieces cow’s foot
- 6-8 pieces goat meat
- 4-6 pieces fresh turkey
- 3 plum tomatoes OR 2 m/l tomatoes
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1 large red onion
- 1 head of garlic OR 8-10 cloves (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 6-8 scotch bonnet peppers/habanero peppers
- 4-6 cups palm oil
- 1 cup Canola oil (optional)
- 3 cups frozen Spinach
- 3 cups dried Oha leaves
- 2 cups dried Nchawu ‘scent’ leaves
- 3 cups dried Ugwu leaves
- 2cups dried Uziza leaves
- 3 cups dried Ukazi/Okazi leaves
- 5 knorr cubes
- 2 tbsps dried/ground red pepper
1. Rinse cow feet, add to pot, add enough water to cover feet. Let boil over medium heat for 2 hours (keep checking water levels, add water as necessary till soft)
2. Rinse goat meat and turkey, add to dry pot over medium heat, add 2 knorr cubes, ground pepper & bay leaf. Let sweat 10-15 mins (don’t add water)
3. After 10-15 minutes, add enough water to cover meats. Let boil over medium heat for 1.5-2 hours or till soft
4. While the meat/cow feet are boiling, chop up peppers ready for blending
Add chopped peppers to blender with 1/2-1 cup water
6. Blend till smooth (pre-heat palm oil and canola oil while blending)
7. Palm oil and Canola oil mixture should be hot at this point
7b. Add blended peppers into oil, let boil for 30-45 minutes over medium heat
8. While meat and peppers are boiling away, boil some water in a separate pot
9. Once water boils, start working on ‘cleaning’ the vegetables. Starting with Ukazi, get 2 bowls: 1 for scooping out hot water and the other large enough to hold the vegetables. (Don’t turn the heat off, just reduce it to low.)
9b. Pour out the Ukazi leaves into the larger bowl, pour in enough hot water to cover the vegetables. Stir with a spoon for about 1 minute
10. Drain the Ukazi leaves from the hot water into a sieve
11. Once leaves are drained, rinse with cold running water 4-6 times (please don’t skip this step!)
12. Once rinsed 4-6 times, squeeze vegetables and transfer to a dry pot (no heat yet!)
13. Set that aside, move on to the next vegetable, Ugwu
13b. Pour out the Ugwu leaves into the larger bowl, pour in enough hot water to cover the vegetables. Stir with a spoon for about 1 minute
14. Drain the Ugwu leaves from the hot water into a sieve
15. Once leaves are drained, rinse with cold running water 4-6 times (please don’t skip this step!!)
16. Once rinsed 4-6 times, squeeze vegetables and transfer to a dry pot (no heat yet!)
17. Set aside, move onto the Oha leaves
17b. Pour out the Oha leaves into the larger bowl, pour in enough hot water to cover the vegetables. Stir with a spoon for about 1 minute
18. Drain the Oha leaves from the hot water into a sieve
19. Once leaves are drained, rinse with cold running water 4-6 times (please don’t skip this step!!!)
20. Once rinsed 4-6 times, squeeze vegetables and transfer to a dry pot (no heat yet!)
20b. Don’t forget to check on boiling meats/cow feet and boiling peppers. Add water/turn heat down where necessary!
21. Repeat steps #9b-12 for the remainder vegetables (except Spinach!), Uziza…
22. and Nchawu ‘scent’ leaves
23. Once done cleaning the leaves, they should all be in a dry pot with no heat. Turn heat on to medium, stir often to mix up vegetables. Leave on heat for 15 minutes
24. While vegetables are on stove, meat should be tender. Transfer from stock into bowl with slotted spoon
25. Lightly deep fry (or bake) boiled meat
26. Return to boiling peppers, should be cooked at this point. Add remaining 3 knorr cubes, stir in thoroughly
27. Add fried meats and boiled cow feet to cooked stew till thoroughly coated
28. Turn heat off on vegetables and add to stew
29. Mix vegetables into stew thoroughly. Let cook over low-medium heat for 15 minutes. (Taste/chew vegetables to see if it’s tender/soft enough)
30. While the soup is cooking/simmering away, rinse and drain frozen spinach
31. Add drained spinach to soup
32. Mix spinach into stew thoroughly, let cook another 5-10 minutes over low heat
33. Once it’s done simmering, you have Edikaikong!
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