Waterleaf is an annual herbaceous plant in West Africa that is seen in most of the states in Nigeria mainly in the southern. It is called Gbure in Yoruba; Mgbolodi in Igbo, in Edo, it is regarded as Ebe-dondon and generally referred to as waterleaf.
According to research, this vegetable contains lots of water and nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, crude fiber, lipids, crude protein and others, which makes it nutritious and medicinal in several ways.
The waterleaf can be prepared even when you hit Akungba igbeyin.
It can be prepared in two ways its either you roast it (riro) or you cook it with egusi.
Ingredients needed
Waterleaf
Pepper (rodo with little tomatoes)
Onions
Locust bean (iru)
Fish (dry, fresh, or smoke fish)
Vegetable oil
Ponmo (optional)
Crayfish (optional anyways)
Salt (just little because waterleaf to take much salt)
Seasoning
Meat
Method 1
How to prepare waterleaf (roasted waterleaf)
Step 1
Get your waterleaf and cut (make sure you remove the flower on it). Wash your waterleaf and put it in a sieve.
Step 2
Blend your pepper with onions. Put your pot on fire and add vegetable oil to it
Step 3
Wait for some seconds then add your pepper, locusts beans, fish, crayfish, ponmo, salt and seasoning, meat then stir together and cover for some minute.
After some minute, if you are using smoked or fresh fish you will need to remove it before adding your waterleaf for easy and proper starring.
Step 4
Add your waterleaf and stair, make sure the waterleaf mix well with the pepper. Cover for like 2 to 3 minutes.
You can serve with any swallow of your choice. You can even serve with white rice.
Method 2
In one of our previous discussion, we discuss how to prepare egusi soup, that we can either boil or fry our egusi.
Step 1
Cut your waterleaf, wash and put it in a sieve. Boil or fry your egusi
Step 2
Add waterleaf. Add pepper seasoning, salt, locust beans, fish, ponmo, meat, vegetable oil (that is if you boil your egusi) cover for some minute.
Your soup is ready; you can serve with any swallow of your choice. You can even serve with white rice.
Do you know God has really blessed us with this vegetables in AAUA? You can find it everywhere in the school, sport complex, 30cq, Intercom and other major places in school, so you don’t need to buy as you can easily go there to fetch it fresh.
Author
Olaifa Bukola is a student of adekunle ajasin university, department of mass communication 300level