Cameroon, Nigeria – Egusi Soup/Stew with Rice or Ripe Plantains or White Yams

By Verdzekov Bernard

Egusi soup is made from melon seeds. The melon is harvested when it is matures, it cracked open and the seeds removed and dried. The seeds are collected and dried well using just sun light. (the African way). This meal is common in Nigeria as well. Egusi are seeds. To prepare the meal, you must have egusi seeds. This could be bought from the market already cracked or the melon itself which after removing the seeds you may eat the melon then after you dry the seeds. Below are the ingredients and the procedure to prepare this dish.

Ingredients

• 5/6 cups of Egusi
• 1 cups of ground crayfish
• Grilled chicken or boiled
• Water (2-3)
• Salt to taste
• Ground pepper
• Dry fish
• Maggi
• Salt to taste
• 11/2 cup of palm oil
• Tomatoes
• 2 bulbs of onion
• Bitter leaf

Procedure

• This meal should take you about an 1hr or 1hr 30min from the preparation to serving.
• Grind your egusi or blend it using the smaller section of the blender. Keep aside.
• Slice tomatoes and onions and keep aside to as well.
• Wash bitter leaf and chop. Keep aside.
• Slice your chicken into favorable slices and keep aside too.
• Stand pot on the fire, put your chicken in it and salt to taste, with onions and allow it to boil for about 20min.
• Using another pot, put your egusi in it add 4 cups of water and allow it to cook for about 15min. Add chopped bitter leave and steer well. Leave it for 15min more making sure water doesn’t dry off.
• In another pot warm your palm oil. Allow it to heat up for about 2 or 3min. Add tomatoes and fry. Don’t fry for so long. Add the rest of the onions and steer well. Transfer all you got from the boiling egusi pot into the fried tomatoes and onions. Steer well. and cover pot. After 5min pour boiled chicken together with the chicken stock and stair well. Add cray fish and steer well.
• Add pepper and allow pot for about 20 to 25min for all ingredients to blend and cook well. open after every 10min to make sure water hasn’t dried off. add if necessary.

Serve and enjoy with rice, white yams, yellow yams etc.