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Egusi Pudding – savory bites cooked with African egusi seeds, protein pieces, and spices that are incredibly addicting. It’s great as a snack bite or a side dish.
When you do get the chance to indulge in Egusi Pudding, you’ll experience an extraordinary play on texture and flavor from moist and sponge-like to smoky and savory.
To make the pudding, the seeds are blended and mixed with water, fish, seasoning, and cooked in plantain leaves or aluminum foil in the absence of plantain/banana leaves.
What Is Egusi?
Egusi is a seed that comes from a type of pumpkin/melon. It is usually in a yellowish-orange shell, which when cracked open, reveals a white seed. This highly valued seed, egusi is also known as melon seeds or pumpkin seeds.
They are extremely nutritious- high in protein and oil. According to nourishing planet, they are Composed of nearly 50 percent edible oil and contain another 30 percent pure protein and pack a lot of nutrition into a very small package- who knew they are so nutritious. Now am going to make them more often.
These nutritious seeds are widely consumed in West African Countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone as a thickening agent in soups, and to add depth to most soups.
Where Does Egusi Pudding Originates From?
How To Make Egusi Pudding
In this recipe, I used fresh beef, smoked fish and crayfish. You may use any one protein, or any combination. I love the smoky taste of the fish; it adds depth of flavor to this savory pudding.
This is an easy way of making egusi pudding instead of using foil paper or plantain leaves. I use muffin cups to make the egusi. Then steam it in the oven-it cuts my labor in half.
What To Serve With Egusi Pudding
Egusi Pudding
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried fish
- ½ pound beef boiled (cut in bite size) , reserve about 1 ½ cup broth
- 2 cups ground egusi
- 1/3 ground Cray fish
- 1 small scotch bonnet pepper minced or 1 teaspoon dried pepper
- 1-2 bouillon cube or Maggie
- Salt as needed
Instructions
Instructions
- Boil beef with salt, pepper and some chopped onions in a medium pot until tender. You can add the smoked fish depending on its texture. . Reserve the stock for later use.
- Add the stock and meat, fish, crayfish, pepper to the egusi. Mix well, until fully combine. Adjust for salt add more if needed.
- Place egusi mixture into prepared baking cups. Cover with mixture until about three quarters full. Gently place ramekins pans to the large baking pan.
- Bring the water (to place in the large baking dish) to a light simmer on top of the stove; carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins cups.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Let it rest for about 10 minutes or more before removing aluminum foil.
- Carefully remove aluminum foil with an oven mitten.
- Let egusi pudding rest for about 10 minutes or more before serving.
