Eru leaves (okazi)
Also called: ukazi, afang leaves, okok, koko, Gnetum africanum
Eru leaves, also called okazi, come from a forest vine of Central Africa, of the genus Gnetum. They are thick, tough and dark green, and are sliced into very thin strips before cooking. The taste is mild and slightly earthy, and the strips keep some bite even when cooked.
Lumo has two recipes that use them, both from the South-West: eru, cooked with waterleaf, palm oil, crayfish and meat, and served with water fufu or garri; and Afang soup, where the same leaves cook with palm oil and periwinkles. In the Centre and South regions, Gnetum leaves cut the same way are used to make okok.
Look for leaves that are deep green with no yellow patches. Most sellers slice them by machine; if yours are whole, roll a few leaves together and cut them as finely as you can. Give them a quick rinse before cooking. Fresh sliced leaves keep a few days in a sealed bag in the fridge, and they freeze well. Abroad, African grocery stores carry them, mostly dried and pre-sliced, sometimes frozen, under the names eru, okazi or ukazi. Soak dried leaves in warm water for a few minutes before using them. There is no real substitute with the same texture.
Recipes with this ingredient
- Afang Soup Sud-Ouest · 1 hr 30 min
A rich Calabar-style soup: pounded afang (okazi) leaves and waterleaf cooked with goat meat, dried fish, periwinkle and palm oil.
- Eru Sud-Ouest · 1 hr
A South-West classic: finely shredded eru (okazi) and waterleaf greens stewed with beef, cow skin, smoked fish and crayfish in plenty of red palm oil.