Cooking list - okro soup with bitter leaf.

I must start by saying that when cooking this meal, you must be able to compliment yourself and say, "it couldn't be any better." This is because the bitter leaf, from its name can be challenging

WHAT YOU NEED

1. OKRO - must be fresh
2. BITTER LEAF - you can buy fresh ones and wash them or buy the FRESHLY washed one's from the market women.
3. SEA FOODS - fish first, then prawns,and whatever other sea foods you like. All must be fresh or frozen, not dried. But if you like dried ones, go with it all the way. 
4. Pepper, salt, seasoning etc.

HOW TO PREPARE THE BITTER LEAF

Note: please conduct this process while cooking the sea-foods

If you wish to buy the unwashed bitter leaves, you must be very careful to prepare it well.

First, pluck the each leaf from the branches. In doing so, make sure that each leaf comes off of its stalk almost to the tip of the leaf. If the stalk remains, it will look shabby, the stalk of bitter leaf is not so easy to cut. The reason is mostly because, the leaves get pieced during the washing process, and you won't need to cut the leaves as much as the stalk which may need twice the effort. So, work hard at this stage to get them out of the way.

After plucking, you rinse properly. The rinsing takes away the sand before you start washing

Next, washing. Washing doesn't necessarily involve much else. It still takes water, a basin and your hands. All you need is an extra strength to scrub the leaves against each other. Do this over and over, changing the water constantly.Soon the water becomes foamy, and after changing the water a few time, the foam goes, away, it is safe at this point to say the bitterness has gone away or is at least inconsequential. you can now chop the leaves into a tinier consistency

The leaf is now ready. now you chop the okro .

If the sea-foods are well cooked by now, you are ready to start the proper cooking. simply add some more water to the pot. season some more to suit the level of water in the pot. when the taste is alright for you, add the chopped okro, allow it to cook and then add the bitter leaves - just enough to be visible but not too much as to overshadow the other elements in the pot. Add palm oil and after just one minute, you can put off the flame.

So, cooking Nigerian or any other meals may seem difficult, but they are not really. It is all in the pre-cooking. The actual cooking is never difficult when once you are done with the preparations