Egusi Soup with Pounded Yam

Name: Egusi Soup with Pounded Yam
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: 200g Ground Egusi (Melon) Seeds; 120ml Red Palm Oil; 400g Beef, or Goat; 150g Tripe; 150g Cow Skin (Ponmo); 60g Stockfish, pieces, soaked and rinsed; 60g Dried Fish, deboned; 20g Ground Crayfish; 1 large Onion; 1 Red Bell Pepper; 1 1/2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers, to taste; 1 tbsp Iru (Locust Beans); 150g Pumpkin Leaves (Ugu), or spinach, chopped; 1.2 l Water, or light beef stock; 1 1/2 cubes of Seasoning Cube, Maggi/Knorr, crumbled; 1 1/2 tsp Salt, to taste; 1.5 kg African White Yam, peeled and cut into chunks; 1 pinch of Salt, optional; Some Water, for boiling

A rich, comforting Nigerian classic, Egusi Soup with Pounded Yam combines savory, nutty ground melon seeds with tender stews of beef and assorted proteins, finished with leafy greens and a bright palm-oil aroma. The result is a thick, flavorful soup perfect for scooping with smooth, stretchy pounded yam — a dish that’s both hearty and celebratory.

A rich, comforting Nigerian classic, Egusi Soup with Pounded Yam combines savory, nutty ground melon seeds with tender stews of be... Show more

Traditional West African Recipe

Health Grade

A- · Excellent

Rating

4.2

Time

1 hr50 min

Price

8,76 €

Calories

1422 kcal

healthy

high protein

low sugar

comfort food

Method

Soak the stockfish

Rinse the stockfish well, then place it in a bowl and cover with plenty of warm water. Let it soak until it softens enough to cut or bend slightly and any grit loosens; for very hard stockfish, this may take several hours or overnight. Drain and rinse it again before it goes into the pot.

Clean the proteins

Pick through the dried fish carefully and remove every small bone you can find, then rinse it quickly and set it aside. Rinse the beef, tripe, and cow skin under cool water, rubbing the tripe and cow skin well to remove any residue, then drain everything thoroughly.

Wash the produce

Rinse the onion, red bell pepper, Scotch bonnets, ugu leaves, and African white yam under cool water. Wash the greens especially well so no sand is left behind, then shake off the excess water.

Prep the vegetables

Peel the yam and cut it into even chunks if it is not already cut. Peel the onion, roughly chop it, and divide it into two portions. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper, trim the Scotch bonnets if you want a little less heat, and slice the ugu leaves into bite-size strips after discarding any tough stems.

Simmer the meats

Put the beef, tripe, cow skin, and soaked stockfish into a large heavy pot. Add half of the chopped onion, 1 crumbled seasoning cube, 1 teaspoon of salt, and enough water to just cover everything. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 45 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the tripe and cow skin have softened. Keep all of that cooking liquid in the pot; it becomes the base of the soup.

Blend the peppers

Add the remaining onion, the red bell pepper, and the Scotch bonnets to a blender with a small splash of water. Blend until you have a smooth but still slightly thick pepper mixture, then set it beside the stove.

Cook the egusi base

Heat the red palm oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat for about 2 minutes; it should loosen and shimmer but not smoke. Pour in the blended pepper mixture and cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes until the raw smell fades and the oil starts to show around the edges. Stir in the ground egusi and ground crayfish, breaking up any lumps, and cook for 4 minutes more until the mixture looks thick, grainy, and very fragrant.

Finish the soup

Stir in the iru, then add the simmered meats, stockfish, the reserved cooking stock, and the dried fish. If the pot looks too dry for a thick soup, add a little more water. Crumble in the remaining seasoning cube, taste, and add a little more salt if needed. Simmer for 15 minutes so the egusi cooks through and the fish softens, then fold in the ugu leaves and cook for 3 minutes more, just until the greens wilt and the soup is thick and glossy.

Boil the yam

While the soup simmers, place the yam chunks in another pot and cover them with water. Add the pinch of salt if you like. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, then start checking; the pieces should break easily when pressed and a knife should slide in without resistance.

Drain the yam

Drain the yam well, but reserve a little of the hot cooking water. Let the steam escape briefly so the yam is not waterlogged, while keeping it hot enough to pound easily.

Pound until smooth

Transfer the hot yam to a mortar and pestle or food processor and pound or process it in batches until completely smooth, stretchy, and lump-free. If it feels too stiff or looks grainy, work in a spoonful or two of the reserved hot cooking water. Keep going until it gathers into a soft, elastic mass.

Shape and serve

Wet your hands lightly, shape the pounded yam into neat balls, and serve it hot with the egusi soup. Spoon plenty of soup into bowls with some beef, tripe, cow skin, stockfish, and dried fish in each portion, and let everyone tear off pieces of yam for dipping and scooping.