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| Cuisine of Nigeria
Egusi Soup
Egusi Soup
Category Soups


In Nigeria, Egusi soup is very popular among the Igbo people, the Ibibio people and the Efik people or Calabar people, the Hausa people, the Edo people, Esan people, Etsakọ people and Yoruba people in general.There are various method of cooking egusi depending on the tribe. There are two prominent method of cooking egusi, the boiling and the frying method.

Ingredients

  • Melon seed (Egusi Seed )
  • Pepper
  • Onions
  • Salt
  • Palm Oil
  • Crayfish
  • Vegetable(Pumpkin Leaf(Ugwu)|Bitter leaf|Water leaf )

Optional

  • Seasoning Cube
  • Locust Beans
  • Ponmo (Cow skin)
  • Stock Fish
  • Dried Fish
  • Fresh Fish
  • Meat(Beef|Pork|Turkey|Chicken)
  • Tomato

Preparation

  1. Remove bones and unwanted particles from the dry fish, crayfish and stock fish
  2. Wash the Ponmo Properly and remove all dirts.It is is optional to boil the ponmo but you can boil it to make it softer.
  3. Cut ponmo into small pieces as desire and if desired you can dice it.
  4. Boil Meat or fresh fish alongside stock fish to make it soft and easy to chew.Add salt and seasoning to it so it can be tasty
  5. Blend the fresh pepper,tomato,onion together.
  6. Grind the Egusi in a miller without any liquid so you have a dry melon powder
  7. Slice Onions
  8. Pluck, Slice and wash the vegetables properly,and ensure there is no sand in the vegetable.
  9. Crush the Seasoning cube to powder.

Method 1

The frying method.

Procedure

  1. Mix the the grinded Seasoning powder,salt, fresh pepper,tomato,onion with Egusi Powder to make a thick paste.
  2. Put the palm oil in pot and heat it.
  3. Added the sliced onions into the hot palm oil and fry for few very minute.
  4. Then fry the egusi paste you have made.Start stirring the egusi on low to medium heat. Keep stir-frying for about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the locust beans: this step is optional.
  6. Add the Boil Meat or fresh fish alongside stock fish to it.
  7. Add the dry fish, crayfish and stock fish
  8. If you feel the egusi is too thick add little water or the stock from the Boil Meat or fresh fish.
  9. Allow to cook on low to medium heat for 10 minutes.
  10. Add the sliced vegetables.And Cook for on low to medium heat for 10 minutes.
  11. Taste to access the salt content if not enough add more till you get desired taste.

Method 2

Boiling Method

Procedure

  1. While boiling the Meat or fresh fish alongside stock fish,add the palm oil into so it can boil.
  2. Add the ponmo and the dried fish too.
  3. Add the blended the fresh pepper,tomato,onion into the boiling stock.Allow to boil for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the egusi powder and allow to boil for 10 minutes.
  5. Add Crayfish and locust beans
  6. Add the sliced vegetables.And Cook for on low to medium heat for 10 minutes.
  7. Taste to access the salt content if not enough add more till you get desired taste.

Serving

Egusi can be eaten with eba,fufu,semo,amala,tuwo,starch,apku and rice.Depending on your choice and appetite.

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