Efo elegusi

[MrsChocT]

This is an easy recipe to follow. There are different methods of cooking egusi, this is just one of them

Ingredients
Palm oil
Egusi - ground
smoked fish - pre-soaked in hot salt water
ground pepper or habanero
small onion
assorted meat all ready cooked, I prefer chopped into bite site pieces (for a better dish, please don't add chicken....feel free to add goat meat, beef, tripe etc)
meat stock (you may use water if you don't like meat stock)

pre cooked stock fish (optional)

vegetable ( I prefer collard greens but you can choose your preference)
One knorr cube

salt to taste
locust beans aka iru


How to:
add your ground egusi to a blender, add some chopped onions....do not add too much. Add a few drops of water. The key is to blend the onions and egusi to form a paste. It shouldn't be watery. Once done, set it aside.

Add you chopped meats to a clean pot
Add your stock
Add your ground pepper or blended habanero

Bring all ingredients to a boil
Add your smoked fish and stock fish
add your cube of knorr and iru
Taste for salt, if you used the meat stock, it is likely that you wouldn't need much salt. If you used water, then adjust.

Let simmer for a few minutes.

Add your chopped vegetables (collards etc)

Let it simmer for a few minutes

Get your egusi and onion mixture.....begin adding it bit by bit with your fingers...make sure that the egusi is spread all through the pot...
Let cook for another 5 mins

Stir

Lastly, add your palm oil. Make sure you use quality palm oil.....use enough for your dish....but do not over do it.

Let it cook for another 10 mins to ensure that the palm oil is heated through, stir....

Voila, you're done..

Enjoy with pounded yam (iyan), fufu, eba or amala.



(Note: Make sure your egusi is cooked through.....I'm saying this cos one of our AA sister cooked egusi and gave us all upset stomachs for thanksgiving dinner)....so be kiaful o!

[mulan]

Add your chopped vegetables (collards etc)

Let it simmer for a few minutes

Get your egusi and onion mixture.....begin adding it bit by bit with your fingers...make sure that the egusi is spread all through the pot...
Let cook for another 5 mins

Stir

Lastly, add your palm oil. Make sure you use quality palm oil.....use enough for your dish....but do not over do it.

Let it cook for another 10 mins to ensure that the palm oil is heated through, stir....

SNB,

Nice list of ingredients but I would reverse your cooking method as follows,

Add the palm oil to assorted meat and fish and bring to boil, simmer for 5mins

Add the ground egusi and onion paste to the mixture, use a ladle to distribute evenly. Simmer on low heat for 10mins, or till egusi is cooked almost dry and the oil is bubbling thinly between the grains.

Add the chopped greens/vegetables last. These don't need to be overcooked and should always be the last to go in the pot during any cooking. Immediately after adding, stir the soup and remove from heat.

Pele on your numb tongue and hope it doesn't reduce your enjoyment of your iyan to egusi too much when you do dig in...

[emj]

Eherm i've seen some people fry their Egusi b4 blending it...they said it gives the Egusi Soup better Flavour.

I dont's mind adding a bit of thoroughly washed bitter-leaf to mine...and i cook for longer...some like the Egusi Balls, but i dont so much care for that.

Efo Elegusi is good anywaz.....in moderation though.

[Kenn]

E ma gbe koja mi O!

.

[MrsChocT]

Mulan.......you can heat the oil separately and add it later.or before, your preference...thanks ..my tongue is getting better. Collard greens are tough...so it doesn't get tender easily. To keep the greens green, don't cover the pot too much....


Emj.....I agree, as said, there are many ways of cooking egusi. I cook it different ways.

[ISL]

God Bless you SnB

[MsWoman]

I agree with everyone! Cool!

I fry my egusi too before using! I also prefer collard greens for efo elegusi because they are much tougher. I like the enjoyment of chewing the efo along with the egusi grains. Finally, I add my greens last too, so as not to overcook them.

I feel like entering the kisheen right now!