Eru is a typical Cameroonian soup that is usually accompanied by its waterfufu or tapioca couscous. Eru is indeed a soup made from two kinds of vegetables, namely okok and waterleaf. Both combined with a good layer of palm oil, and lots of what we call in Africa "obstacles": beef skin, beef flesh, smoked fish, crayfish… It is a dish from the North-West and South-West regions and it is clearly one of the favorite meals of Cameroonians. I show you in this article the best way to make eru, waterfufu as well as tapioca couscous
INGREDIENTS
- 900g of waterleaf
- 800g okok leaves
- 50g dried crayfish
- 5 peppers
- 100g smoked fish
- 500g beef skin
- 500g of beef
- 1 l palm oil
- 2 small seasoning cubes
- 500g of waterfufu
- Tapioca couscous
Total time
Preparation: 30 min Cooking: 3h Resting: –
PREPARATION
The eru soup
1
To prepare the eru, you must first finely cut your waterleaf leaves. As for okok, it is a little difficult to cut and requires a technical cut, I recommend that you buy it already cut. You can also replace the waterleaf leaves with spinach leaves, it is a revisited way of making eru but still as good.
2
Once you have cut your vegetables, wash them separately and drain them. Leave them in a colander for about 30 minutes so that all the water contained in them comes out, for a better result.
3
Then cut the meats into small pieces and cook. For the beef skin, it is better to use the one that is pre-cooked not only to make your task easier but also and above all to save you time. So, if you take pre-cooked skin, first cook the flesh with a teaspoon of salt for about 1 hour and add the beef skin then let it cook for 40 min. Add the smoked fish 20 minutes before the end of cooking the meats
Be sure to cook your meats with less water because the broth will not be useful for the rest of the cooking process.
4
Then add the waterleaf leaves (or spinach leaves), chilli, a teaspoon of salt, seasoning cubes and mix properly. Cover and let the water in the wateleaf come out completely and go down slightly
5
Now add the okok leaves and mix properly. Then add the dried crayfish and mix properly. Cover and simmer for about 40 min while stirring constantly.
Grandma's little tip is to put the crayfish on top of your pan while cooking the meat for about 30 minutes to bring out the flavor a little before putting it in the pan.
6
Now add the palm oil, adjust the seasoning and stir well. Let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Let the pot burn slightly before bringing to the boil. Your eru is ready!
The waterfufu
Waterfufu is fermented cassava paste which is then cooked.
1
To cook waterfufu, you will need to prepare energy and, above all, patience.
To do this, in a saucepan, pour your cassava paste, then add water and mix properly so as to have a homogeneous mixture. Pass the waterfufu through a sieve to remove any possible stem for an optimal result. The mixture should have a pasty consistency and not too light.
2
Then place the pan on the fire, stir with a pestle or spatula until the preparation begins to change consistency, it will change color and become heavier. If your waterfufu is a little too hard for your taste, you can add a little water before continuing to stir. This is a preparation that needs to be stirred properly and continuously, otherwise, it may have lumps. When your waterfufu is very soft and smooth, you can turn up the heat.
Tapioca Couscous
Also called gari, tapioca is also cassava. It is a starch made from cassava then dried consumed mainly in Cameroon, Nigeria and other African countries.
Unlike waterfufu, tapioca couscous is very easy to make. To make it, simply heat a little water in a saucepan, add the tapioca and mix properly. It does not need to cook for a long time because when making the starch, it is pre-cooked. It's ready
Serve your eru with waterfufu or tapioca couscous.
Enjoy your meal!
