How to Prepare Egusi Soup

Egusi soup is prepared with grounded melon seeds, it is popular soup eaten by most tribes in Nigeria, and can be prepared in different ways. The Hausas call it Miyan Gushi in Hausa, Igbos- Ofe Egusi and the Yorubas call it Efo Elegusi.

Egusi can be prepare in three major ways;

1. Fried Egusi Soup; in this method the egusi is fried in palm oil before other ingredients are added.
    
2. In the second method, egusi is molded into balls and cooked in the soup such that you will be eating the egusi balls like meat while enjoying the meal.
    
3. Caking method; this method produces a healthier egusi soup as there is no frying involved. It requires less oil too, which is the method we are going to use in this study

Ingredients Needed

1. Grind Egusi (Melon) seeds (chose the quantity you prefer)
2. Palm oil
3. Beef: Best cut and Shaki (cow tripe) 
4. Ponmo
5. Fish: Dry Fish and Stock Fish
6. Crayfish
7. Pepper and Salt (to taste)
8. Vegetable: Nigerian pumpkin leaves, spinach or bitter leaves
9. Seasoning (Maggi cubes or any other type)
10. Locust bean (Iru)

Preparation of Egusi Soup (Caking Method)

1. Soak your dry fish for about half an hour. If you are using the very tough stockfish, boil it for 20 minutes and leave in the pot with the hot water to soak for about an hour. If using the softer stockfish, you can just soak them in cool water till you can break them apart with your hands.
2. Boil your ponmo, ensure that it is soft enough before dropping from fire
3. When the fish and stock-fish are soft, de-bone and break them into sizeable chunks.
4. Set your grind egusi, grind crayfish and grind pepper aside in small dishes
5. Wash your vegetable and cut into tiny pieces and also keep aside
6. Boil your meat (Shaki, stock fish and dry fish in 1 litre of water with seasoning till they are well done). You will know your shaki is done when its starts curling on itself.
7. Wash the other meat (beef) to be used for the soup, add it to the pot and cook on medium heat till done.
8. When the shaki, fish and meat are done, add crayfish and pepper, stir and remove all the meat from the stock fish (water used in cooking the meat and fish) and place in a different pot or plate.
9. Add your grind egusi to the stock and stir.
10. Cover and cook till the egusi cakes. Stir and add a little bit more water and watch it closely so that it does not burn
11. Add small quantity of water. After about 25 minutes, you will notice the clear egusi oil coming to the surface of the soup
12. Add the red palm oil and bitter leaves (if it is your choice of vegetable) or any of the vegetables you chose to use, add grind pepper and salt to taste and cook for about 7 minutes.
13. Add the cooked meat and fish. If using pumpkin leaves or any other soft vegetable, add it at this time and stir the soup.
14. Stir and leave to simmer for 2 minutes maximum
15. Turn off the heat. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Your egusi soup can be eaten with Garri (Eba), Fufu, Amala, Pounded yam






Source

Posted in Food & Cooking

Related

• Owo Soup
• Coconut Rice
• How to Decorate Cake 
  
• Hot Green Salad
• How to Make Cabbage Salad