New contest Week 90// Let's do it...Do It Yourself👉 DIY Kitchen Edition: Crafting My Special Bitter Leaf, Egusi & Ogbono Soup Combo!

Happy New Year once again my wonderful Steemit family! 🎉. We made it to another amazing year, and I pray this year brings our pots plenty of food and our wallets plenty of Steem!

I am so excited to jump into this creative contest hosted by the lovely @mesola. The theme is "Do It Yourself" (DIY). Now, usually, when people hear DIY, they think of paper crafts or building shelves.

But today, I am taking you to the "art studio" known as my kitchen! Cooking is one of the oldest forms of craft, you take raw materials and turn them into a masterpiece.

Today, I’m showing you how I "crafted" a pot of Bitter Leaf Soup mixed with Egusi and Ogbono. It’s a combo that confuses some but delights the taste buds!

🛒 The Raw Materials (Ingredients)

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My simple ingredients for the diy

Every artist needs their tools. For this delicious soup, I gathered everything on my tray (as you can see in the picture):

• The Thickeners: Ground Egusi (Melon seeds) and Ground Ogbono. Mixing these two gives the soup a perfect texture, not too drawing, but thick and rich.

• The Proteins: Stockfish (Okporoko) for that distinct smell and taste, Smoked Fish, and some meat.

• The Veggie: Fresh Bitter Leaf (Onugbu).

• The Spices: Crayfish (plenty of it!), Seasoning cubes (Maggi), salt, and fresh pepper.

• The Base: Red Palm Oil.

Step By Step On How I Prepared The Recipe

🛠️ Step 1:

squeezing the bitter leaf for use

The Hard Work (The Wash)
A DIY project always has a tough part. For this soup, it is the bitter leaf processing.

You can see in the photo that I had to get down and dirty! Actually I really did a great job here. To use fresh bitter leaf, you can't just throw it in the pot; because it is too bitter!

The Process:

We added the leaves to a bowl with water.

Scrub and Squeeze: You have to scrub the leaves against your palms vigorously. It creates a lot of foam.

We rinsed and repeated this process multiple times until the water ran clear and most of the bitterness was gone. This is the "muscle" part of the cooking!

🛠️ Step 2:

when I washed my fish and first put it inside the pot

Building the Foundation (Stock)
While the leaves were being washed, I started working on the fish. I took my Stockfish and soaked it in hot water to soften it up. Then, I washed the smoked fish carefully to remove sand.

I placed the stockfish and meat in the pot, seasoned them with onions, Maggi, and pepper, and allowed them to boil until the stock was rich and tasty. This liquid is the "soul" of the soup.

🛠️ Step 3:

were I kept the palm oil inside the cupboard

The "Paint" (Palm Oil & Thickeners)
Once the meat was tender, it was time to add the color. I reached into my cupboard for my trusty bottle of Red Palm Oil.

I poured the red oil into the boiling stock.

The Trick: I don't fry my Egusi for this method. I sprinkled the ground Ogbono first and waited until it boiled well, before I now add the Egusi into the boiling pot.

I stirred it and covered the pot. This is where the magic happens. The Ogbono starts to melt and "draw," and the Egusi swells up to create those little lumps we all love.

I let this boil for about 10-15 minutes so the Egusi wouldn't taste raw. The aroma at this point was already filling the whole compound!

🛠️ Step 4:

finally, I now add my already prepared better leaf, i used it as vegetable
The Finishing Touch
Finally, it was time to add the star of the show—the washed bitter leaf.

I scattered the washed vegetables into the thick, yellow-orange soup. I didn't let it cook for too long after this—maybe just 3 to 5 minutes—because I wanted the vegetables to stay fresh and retain a little bit of that "green" nutrients.

I tasted for salt one last time... perfect!

🍽️ The Masterpiece

confirmed ogbono, egusi and better leaf soup by the big chef in town, @dannyben39
Ladies and gentlemen, look at the result! Served in a nice breakable plate, the soup is thick, colorful, and packed with obstacles (meat and fish). The combination of the slightly bitter taste of the leaf pairs perfectly with the savory sweetness of the Egusi and the thickness of the Ogbono.

This isn't just food; it's a craft. It takes patience to wash the leaf, skill to balance the thickeners, and love to bring it all together.

Thank you, @mesola, for this challenge. I invite my friends @bossj23, @joshpa, and @peacemike to show us their own DIY creativity!

Happy New Year once again, everyone! Eat well and stay creative!