EGUSI SOUP RECIPE

 Eyin temi bawo ni oh, shei wa??

 Happy September #foodiefam! As you guys know that September is my birth month, I have started receiving birthday gifts, just so you know. I just have three wishes to fulfill on my birthday, would you love to hear them? LOL Oya let me share them with you:

1. Cinema date with the LOML ( dont ask me questions! he knows himself)
2. Full face makeover with photoshoots ( can you guys believe I have never had a full face make over?)
3. A spa treatment. (With my best friend before she ties the knot with her lover)

Wishes do come through, right?
Egusi soup is one of my favorite soups, I honestly do not think I love any soup as much as I love Egusi. *shrugs* and my best friend can cook Egusi soup for Africa! She can close her eyes while cooking and the Egusi soup will still come out really nice!
There are so many ways one can cook Egusi soup (boiling or frying) I have seen so many methods and they all came out really nice! My elder sister once used a very different method in cooking it and guess who asked for second round? ME 😊
Personally, I prefer the frying method, *maybe it is the yoruba-ness in me* and I will be sharing the frying method of cooking Egusi soup with you:

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cooking spoon of palm oil
2. 1 cup of grounded Egusi with cray fish (I grind it together)
3. Chopped Ugwu leaves
4. Pepper
5. Onions
6. Locust bean ( Iru)
7. Seasoning cubes
8. Salt to taste
9. Dried stock fish/ cray fish
10. Diced ponmo (for the culture)
11. Salt to taste
12. Fish or /and Meat

DIRECTION

•  Because it is the frying method, you will need to boil the meat, fish and stock fish with ponmo thoroughly and keep it in a corner. Start boiling the meat first before adding the stockfish, ponmo and fish in that order.
• When boiled, cut the stock fish into small chunks and dice the ponmo. 
• Pour 1 cooking spoon of the red palm oil into a dry pot and set on the stove to heat, add the onions and locust bean and proceed to add the pepper before adding the ground egusi mix and start frying. Allow it to fry till the egusi turns yellow. Keep stirring too, to avoid burning.
  • Proceed to add the meat/fish stock small small while still stirring the egusi. Just add as much stock you will need till you get your consistency, Make sure it is not too thick or watery. Then add the meat and fish,stock fish etc, and just allow to boil for 20 minutes. Egusi must be properly done or else, it will upset the stomach, and you can notice if it is done when the oil separates from the mix. 

Then add your choice of vegetable, Ugwu leaves in my case.

After adding the vegetables, just allow it to simmer for about 5minutes.

Egusi soup is ready to be served!