Can you believe that Efo Riro is a fairly recent Nigerian recipe for me to make! Having had it a handful of times at restaurants, to me it seemed like a soup that would require a lot of preparation and skills – but I was so wrong! I didn’t realise how easy and quick it is to make Nigerian Efo Riro soup and it is so delicious. But let me tell you, this particular Efo Riro recipe is like no other because I added nutritious and medicinal Chinese ingredients! Yes, this Nigerian Efo Riro recipe with medicinal Chinese ingredients is going to do your body so good and I’m going to let you know what they are.
What is Efo Riro
Efo Riro is a Nigerian soup eaten by the Yoruba tribe. Efo Riro means ‘stirred vegetables’ as it is noted for its rich abundance of greens. Over time Efo Riro has become so popular that many other tribes and countries eat it.
Ingredients
Spinach
The main star of Efo Riro is spinach, but not the usual kind you get from the supermarket. Efo Riro uses African Spinach (efo tete) or also known as callaloo or amaranth. This leafy green is very nutritious as it is high in iron, aiding the increase of red blood cells,a and is vitamin A and C rich. African spinach is not only eaten on the continent but widely eaten by Jamaicans, Indians, Philippines and by many other cultures.
Meat
Efo Riro can easily be made without meat or fish, but I personally love a good cut of meat in my soups! The best meat for any type of Nigerian soup is braising steak or brisket as it is nice and chewy with gelatinous areas.
Pepper
You can either use cameroon pepper or scotch bonnet. Scotch bonnet has become the general pepper to use in Nigerian recipes, but I have found that cameroon pepper adds to the authenticity and flavour of the dish. In this recipe, however, I used both.
The benefits of adding chinese ingredients to Efo Riro
Cordyceps
Cordyceps aka 冬虫夏草 (dōng chóng xià cǎo) is a very interesting ingredient and how it’s formed will intrigue you. Essentially cordyceps is a parasitic fungus that takes over an insect. It is known to help boost energy levels, fight cancer cells and relieve back pain. The Chinese have been using it in their recipes for hundreds of years. In this Efo Riro recipe, I add cordyceps for the added nutritional benefit as the flavour is quite mild.
Black Fungus/ Wood Ear Mushrooms
Black fungus aka wood ear mushroom is widely eaten in China and has been for many centuries. The lovely crunchy texture of black fungus and its ability to absorb flavours makes it a great addition to this Efo Riro recipe. The benefits of black fungus are wide; it is rich in potassium, calcium, iron, a fantastic blood builder and help promote a healthy gut. I’ve used this is another recipe which you can check out here.
How to make the best Nigerian Efo Riro
Preparation is key
Preparing the ingredients is key to making this nutritious Efo Riro recipe. If you’re adding spinach, I like to blanch in hot water and allow to sit for a couple minutes. This reduces to oxalate levels and makes it easier to chop. Fill the bowl of spinach with cold water before touching.
Chop all the ingredients for easy use; so that’s the stew base (bell pepper, scotch bonnet, onions and garlic) and the vegetables.
Preparing the callaloo/ African Spinach properly
So in this recipe I use callaloo aka african spinach. Once bought, it is best to prepare the greens as soon as possible. Removing the leaves from the stalk, add the leaves into a deep pot and add water to cover. Leave for 10 minutes so that any sediments settles at the bottom. Swig the leaves in the water, squeeze and set aside. Discant the water and repeat 1-2 more times. Once thoroughly cleaned, squeeze out the water from the callaloo and chop. Chopped callaloo/ african spinach can be put into freezer and bags and placed in the freezer for subsequent use.
Prepping the Chinese ingredients
In a bowl add in the cordyceps and black fungus. Because they are dried, blanch with hot water and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse the vegetables in cold water to thoroughly clean and set aside.
Cooking the Meat
To remove excess blood, rinse the meat under cool water (see video for how I did it). Then with the meat in a pot and enough water to just about cover the meat. I like to season the meat with 4 maggi cubes and 1/2 of white onion, chopped. Leave to cook until tender on medium low heat, this should take about 30 minutes.
Making Efo Riro Stew Base
What makes this Efo Riro recipe, is the stew. The key is to lightly blend the ingredients so that there is still a bit of texture. In a blender add in the bell pepper, cameroon pepper, red onions and garlic into a blender and add just enough water to pulse until fairly blended.
Don’t cook for long
Because there’s a lot of vegetables used in this Efo Riro recipe, you do not want to overcook it. Once the meat and stew base is ready, combine and add 2 more maggi cubes, palm oil and iru. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes to remove the sweetness from the bell peppers and merge the flavours. Then add in the cordyceps, black fungus and callaloo/ african spinach. Because we blanched the chinese ingredients in hot water, we don’t need to cook it for much long. Allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes, and then that’s it! Turn off the stove and enjoy with swallow or rice.
FAQs
Can I add fish to this recipe?
Yes! Smoked fish, stock fish and/or prawns would be a nice addition to this dish.
Is there a vegetarian version of this dish?
Yes just omit the meat and fish and add more leafy greens. You can add different varieties such as spinach,
How do I store leftovers?
Once the dish has cooled down, store in an airtight container and leave in the fridge for up to 3 days. This is also freezable. Once ready to use, defrost and heat up on the stove.
What can I serve this dish with?
This Efo Riro recipe is best served with either eba or pounded yam. You can also eat this with rice, it’s very nice!
Is this dish spicy?
You can adjust according to your preference!
Nigerian Efo Riro With Medicinal Chinese Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 kg meat
- 1 white onion
- 2 red onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 red bell pepper
- 50 g cordyceps
- 100 g black fungus
- 3 handfuls of african spinach/ callaloo chopped
- 1 cameroon pepper
- 1 scotch bonnet finely diced
- tsp iru (locust beans)
- 5 tbsp palm oil
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 6 chicken maggi cubes
Instructions
- Wash the meat and add enough water in the pot. Cook the meat on medium low for 30 minutes seasoning with 1 chopped onion and 4 maggi cubes.
- Prepare the vegetables. Remove the callaloo/ african spinach leaves from the stalk and wash. Chop and set aside. Do the same for any other leafy green you wish to add.In a bowl and in the cordyceps and black fungus and blanch in hot water for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Prepare the stew. Add in the bell pepper, cameroon pepper, red onions and garlic into a blender and add just enough water to pulse until fairly blended. Do not blend to a smooth consistency, we want texture!
- After the meat is cooked and is tender, add in the stew base and add 2 maggi cubes, palm oil and a tsp of iru (locust beans). Stir and cover to cook for 20 minutes.
- Add in the callaloo/ african spinach, cordyceps and black fungus and cook for another 5 minutes and then turn of the stove.
- This Efo Riro dish is perfect with swallow (i.e. eba), but also with rice. Enjoy!
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how this Nigerian Efo Riro with cordyceps and black fungus turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @nutrifusionbites on Instagram and hashtag it #nutrifusionbites.
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