Egusi Soup
Nigeria
Rédacteur en chef
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Egusi soup is eaten across every region of Nigeria, every ethnic group and every economic class, which is a claim very few dishes anywhere can support. Its name changes with the language and the dish does not: miyan gushi in Hausa, ofe egusi in Igbo, efo elegusi in Yoruba. Its defining ingredient is ground egusi, the dried seed of a gourd related to the watermelon, milled to a meal that thickens and enriches the soup around it. The seeds are ground dry, without water, until the powder turns to a paste under the blade. Nothing else produces the particular nutty, faintly bitter depth that egusi gives, which is why the soup is named for the seed rather than for the meat or the greens that also go into it. There is no single method. The caking approach lets the ground seed set into soft curds in the stock; the frying approach starts the egusi in palm oil; the moulding approach forms it into balls that are eaten like meat. Ijebu cooks in Ogun State make it with no vegetables at all. Every one of these is egusi soup, and Nigerians will argue for their own without seriously disputing anyone else's. It is eaten with pounded yam, fufu, eba, amala or any swallow at hand.
Egusi seeds, from the Citrullus lanatus variety of gourd, have been cultivated in West Africa for at least 4,000 years, with evidence of their use documented at archaeological sites across the Sahel. The grinding and processing of egusi by hand remains a domestic skill passed primarily through women in Igbo, Yoruba and Efik households.
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient.
Soak the dried fish for about half an hour before you start.
If using very tough stockfish, boil it for 20 minutes and leave it in the hot water to soak for about an hour. Softer stockfish can simply be soaked in cool water until it breaks apart by hand.
Once the fish and stockfish are soft, debone them and break them into sizeable chunks.
Close to cooking time, grind the egusi in a dry mill. Grind the crayfish and dried pepper separately and set aside.
Wash the vegetables and cut them into small pieces.
Boil the shaki, stockfish and dried fish in 1 litre of water with the stock cubes until well done. The first sign that shaki is ready is that the cuts start to curl.
Wash the beef, add it to the pot and cook over medium heat until done.
Lift the meat, shaki and fish out of the stock and set them aside.
Add the ground egusi to the stock and stir. If the stock is not enough, add water until the mixture is about the consistency of evaporated milk or slightly thicker.
Cover and cook until the egusi cakes.
Stir, add a little more water, and watch closely so it does not catch. Repeat this, adding only a small quantity of water at a time.
After about 25 minutes clear egusi oil will rise to the surface.
Add the red palm oil and pepper to taste and cook for about 7 minutes, until the palm oil and egusi blend to a light yellow.
Add the cooked meat and fish. Add the pumpkin leaves or other soft vegetable at this point and stir.
Salt to taste, stir, and simmer for no more than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Leave to stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
2 avis
Had to pop down to an international grocer on City Road in Cardiff to track down the egusi seeds and red palm oil, but I'm so glad I made the effort. Boiling the stockfish for twenty minutes first was definitely necessary because the pieces I bought were rock hard. Paired it with pounded yam for my partner and me, absolutely fantastic flavor.
Made this last night for my husband and a couple friends who love trying new foods. Couldn't find ugwu here in Nashville so I used chopped spinach like suggested. Quick question though, is the soup supposed to turn super thick right after stirring in the ground melon seeds, or should I have added a little more broth? Tasted wonderful regardless!