Cuisine

egusi soup

This favorite West African soup is thickened with ground melon seeds. In Western Africa, these seeds are called Egusi.

Ingredients

one-half cup palm oil, or peanut oil, or similar
one to two pounds of cut up beef stew meat or goat meat or hen
one or two Maggi® cubes (optional)
two red onions, chopped
one habanero pepper, cleaned and chopped
two or three tomatoes, chopped
one spoonful tomato paste
one cup dried prawns or dried shrimp, or dried/salted/smoked fish or stockfish
one to two cups ground egusi
one to two pounds spinach; washed and chopped -- or -- bitterleaf
salt, to taste
ground dried crawfish to taste

Directions

Heat the palm oil in a pan. Fry the meat until browned, but not done. Transfer the meat to a deep pot or dutch oven, cover it with water, add maggi cube, salt and half the chopped onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.

Heat more palm oil in the same pan in which meat was browned; fry together the remaining onion, pepper, tomatoes. Once they start to become tender add the tomato paste, dried shrimp or fish, and egusi. Stir well for about 3 minutes.

Add the onion-tomato-egusi mixture to the simmering meat and stir into a smooth soup. Cook for twenty to thirty minutes, or until meat is done.

Stir in chopped greens. Add in crawfish to taste. Simmer for a few minutes more. Serve with garri, fufu, or pounded yam.

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