Egusi Soup

Ingredients

• •1.5 cups ground egusi (melon seeds)
• •1 lb beef or goat meat, cubed
• •1/2 lb smoked fish or stockfish, flaked
• •1/2 cup palm oil
• •1 onion, diced
• •2 tbsp ground crayfish
• •2 scotch bonnet peppers, minced
• •4 cups chopped spinach or bitter leaf
• •2 cups beef stock
• •Salt and bouillon, to taste

Steps

1. 1.Dry roast the ground egusi in a pan over low heat for a few minutes, stirring often, until lightly toasted and nutty smelling - this toasting step deepens the seeds' flavor before they go into the soup.
2. 2.Season and boil the beef until tender, reserving the stock.
3. 3.Combine the toasted ground egusi with about 1/2 cup of the reserved stock and mix into a smooth, thick paste, about the consistency of peanut butter.
4. 4.Heat the palm oil in a pot and sauté the onion, then add the egusi paste in spoonfuls, letting each dollop fry briefly before breaking it up - this is the traditional way to build the soup's characteristic lumpy-yet-thick texture.
5. 5.Stir in the crayfish, scotch bonnet peppers, and beef stock, and simmer on moderate heat, stirring consistently as the ground melon naturally thickens the soup, for about 15-20 minutes.
6. 6.Add the cooked beef and smoked fish and simmer for 10 more minutes.
7. 7.Stir in the chopped spinach or bitter leaf in the last 5 minutes, season with salt and bouillon, and serve with fufu, pounded yam, or eba for scooping.