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Nigerian Egusi Soup –Obe Efo elegusi

How to cook Egusi Soup

Egusi soup with fresh fish and vegetables. Egusi soup, also known as Obe Efo elegusi/Ofe Egusi, is a delicious Nigerian soup that is made with ground melon seeds and enriched with assorted meat,fish and spices. It is actually one of the most popular Nigerian soups used for eating bolus meals such as pounded Yams, Eba, Fufu and wheat meal.

It is also popular in other parts of West Africa and the cooking methods differs from place to place. The common variations for cooking Egusi soup include.

Variation 1: Boiling the assorted meat and fish, then adding the ground Egusi seeds, with or without vegetables

Variation 2: Egusi soup cooked with vegetables (either spinach/ugu, bitter leaves or a combination of both)

Variation 3: Egusi soup cooked without vegetables.

Variation 4: Frying the ground Egusi seeds before adding the palm oil and condiments.

                I always urge my friends to try out the different variations(if they can), and they will realize that the cooking methods are simply a matter of preference. All that really matters is getting it right and making sure that the ground Egusi seeds are properly cooked/fried, to get the raw taste out.

Ingredients for Egusi soup

1 cup ground Egusi/ melon seeds

500g assorted meat of choice, beef, chicken ,cow’s skin/ponmo

200g assorted fish(dried fish, stock fish)

150g fresh fish(1 medium sized Mackerel fish)

750g spinach leaves/ugu/collard greens.

1 medium sized onion bulb.

½ cup palm oil(2 cooking –spoonful)

1 teaspoonful ground chili pepper/fresh scotch bonnet (atarodo)

1 teaspoonful ground crayfish

2 bouillon/stock cubes (seasoning cubes)

Salt to taste

Cooking Method

Grind the Egusi seeds until smooth. Place in a bowl and dissolve with a little lukewarm water to form a paste

Dissolving the Egusi is optional, but it helps to reduce burning when frying in the oil.

Slice the vegetables and set aside.

Wash and season assorted meat and fish with sliced onions, one stock cube ( and any other meat seasoning of choice)and salt to taste. Cook until tender and set aside. Remove meat stock.

                Now to cook the soup

Heat up the oil in a pot until hot. Add the dissolved Egusi paste and fry, stirring constantly until the soup begins to thicken. Fry for about 15 to 20 minutes or when you notice the oil rise to the top of the Egusi.

Add the meat stock, mix thoroughly and leave to boil for 10 minutes.

Add the grounded pepper, crayfish, stock cube and the cooked assorted meat and fish and cook for 10 minutes.

Next, add the fresh fish and cook until the fish is done.

Then, add the sliced vegetables and salt to taste, simmer for 5 minutes and the soup is ready.

Egusi soup can also be used as a sauce for boiled Rice and mostly enjoyed with Semolina, Amala,Tuwo Masara, Fufu, Pounded Yam, and several other bolus meals.

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How to Cook Banga Soup(Ofe Akwu)

Nigerian Banga soup or Ofe Akwu is native to the Niger Delta and south Eastern parts of Nigeria.in the Niger Delta areas, Banga soup is commonly eaten with various fufu recipes: Cassava fufu, Garri, Semolina, Pounded Yam and starch. In the south Eastern parts of Nigeria, Banga soup is referred to as Ofe Akwu where Ofe means soup/stew and Akwu means palm fruit and is used mainly as stew for Boiled White Rice.

The palm fruit oil extracted used in cooking Banga soup/stew is quite different from the red palm oil used in cooking Nigerian food recipes. Palm oil is pure oil extracted from the palm fruit at high temperature while the palm fruit oil extract used for the Banga soup is extracted at very low temperature and is a mixture of oil and water. Palm fruit oil extracted for Banga contains less saturated fat than palm oils.

                Ingredients for Banga Soup

1kg palm fruits or 800g tinned palm fruit concerntrates.

Beef

Dry fish

Vegetables: scent leaves for Ofe Akwu or dried and crushed bitter leaves for Delta style Banga soup

2 medium onions

A handful crayfish or 2 tablespoons ground crayfish

Salt and chilli pepper to taste

Ogiri okpei (Iru)(locust bean)

1-2 big stock cubes

Before you cook the Nigerian Banga Soup

1. Extract the palm fruit concerntrate from the palm fruits. If using the tinned palm fruit concerntrate open the tin and set aside

2. Cook the beef and dry fish with 1 bulb of diced onion and the stock cubes till done

3.Wash and cut the scent leaves into tiny pieces. The scent leaves gives the Banga stew(Ofe Akwu) its unique aroma and taste. If you are outside Nigeria, this may be hard to find, so you can use pumpkin leaves or any other vegetable in place of scent leaves. If cooking Delta-style Banga soup for starch, you should cook this soup without vegetables or use dried and crushed bitter leaves.

4. Cut the remaining bulb of onion. Pound the crayfish, Ogiri okpei and pepper in amortar and set aside. You can also grind them with a dry mill.

                Cooking Directions

1. Set the pot of palm fruit extract on the stove and start cooking at high heat. Leave to boil till you notice red oil at the surface of the Banga stew. If you think that the Banga soup is watery, cook till the soup has thickened to the consistency you like for your stew.

2. Now, add the beef, dry fish and stock fish, the onions, crayfish and pepper and leave to boil very well.

3. Add the scent leaves or the other vegetables and salt to taste. Leave for about 2 minutes. The Banga soup is done. Serve with White Rice or use the Delta –style Banga soup to eat starch, Garri, Semolina, Amala or Pounded Yam.

Cooking Directions for those using tinned palm fruit concerntrate

1. When the beef and the fish are well done, add the palm fruit concerntrate and add water to get the consistency you desire for your stew. Leave to boil very well

2. Add the onions, crayfish, pepper and Ogiri blend and let it boil very well.

3. Add the scent leaves or other vegetables and salt to taste. Leave to simmer for about 2 minutes.

The Banga soup is done

If you used bitter leaves to prepare it, serve with Nigerian fufu meals especially starch. If you used scent leaves to prepare it, serve with boiled White Rice.