Jute Leaf Soup with Smoke-Dried Catfish

Introduction

You boil the atyever leaves for 7 minutes, then finish the soup with palm oil, smoke-dried catfish, and chile-tomato purée for a fast pot with the slippery texture jute leaves are known for. The batch is small, so it works well for 2 servings as a light meal or alongside a starch.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Total Time: 28 minutes
• Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups atyever (jute) leaves, rinsed and sliced
• 2 tablespoons palm oil
• 1 smoke-dried catfish, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chile-tomato purée (see note)
• 1 maggi cubes
• ¼ tablespoon salt

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the atyever leaves, and boil for 7 minutes.
2. Stir in the palm oil, catfish, chile pepper and tomatoes. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the maggi cube and salt. Stir slowly until the soup is slippery enough.
4. Serve.

Variations

• Swap the smoke-dried catfish for smoked mackerel if you want a softer fish that flakes more easily into the soup.
• Reduce the palm oil to 1 tablespoon for a lighter soup; the finished broth will be less rich and less glossy.
• Replace the smoke-dried catfish with smoked mushrooms and use a vegetable bouillon cube instead of the maggi cube for a fish-free version with a similar savory depth.
• Use frozen jute leaves in place of fresh atyever if that is what you can get; the soup will cook a little faster and the texture may be slightly softer.
• Increase the chile-tomato purée by 1 tablespoon if you want a sharper pepper-tomato note and a deeper red color.

Tips for Success

• Rinse the atyever leaves well before slicing so grit does not end up in the finished soup.
• Use a saucepan large enough to let the leaves move freely during the first 7 minutes of boiling; crowded leaves cook unevenly.
• Check the smoke-dried catfish for bones as you eat, or remove obvious large bones before adding it to the pot.
• Stir slowly after adding the maggi cube and salt so the catfish stays in larger pieces instead of breaking apart.
• Stop cooking once the soup looks slick and lightly thickened; if you boil it hard for too long after that point, the fish can toughen.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month, but the jute leaves may soften further after thawing.

Reheat on the stovetop over low heat until hot, stirring gently and adding a small splash of water if the soup has thickened too much. You can also microwave it in a covered bowl in short intervals, stirring between each, until heated through.

FAQ

Can you use frozen jute leaves instead of fresh atyever leaves?

Yes. Use the same amount, and expect the leaves to soften a little faster than fresh ones.

Do you need to remove bones from the smoke-dried catfish before cooking?

It helps, especially if you want easier serving. At minimum, check for larger bones before adding the fish to the saucepan.

Can you make this with less palm oil?

Yes. The soup will still work with less palm oil, but it will taste lighter and lose some of its richness and sheen.

Why does the soup need to be stirred slowly at the end?

Slow stirring helps develop the slippery texture without shredding the catfish into small pieces. It also keeps the soup from turning rough or broken-looking.