Egusi is one the most widely consumed soups in Nigeria, it’s prepared by most tribes. Egusi is ground up shelled melon seed. Its dry milled and combined with a little water to form a paste. The paste is then combined with seafood and cows meat to make the soup.
Egusi is traditionally served with a starch. Possible starch options include Iyan (Pounded yam), Garri (fermented cassava), elubo (fermented yam) or semolina. The vegetable used in egusi preparation is also very important, it goes a long well in defining the taste of the soup. Great choices are tete (calallo), spinach, ugu (fluted pumpkin leaf), ewuro (bitter leaf), Gbure (water leaf), amunututu (malabar spinach), kale, collard and or scent leaf (efirin).
The main factor that set Yoruba style egusi soup apart is the presence of clumps/lumps . According to my grandmother, egusi is just as delicious as meat in this lumpy form. There are different methods to getting and retaining lumps in the soup, I will be using the frying method which happens to be most straightforward . Yoruba style egusi is also cooked with stew base (sans tomato) and contains iru. The recipe can be modified without these ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup groundnut oil*
- 1 cooking spoon palm oil
- 1 cup ground egusi
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup pepper sauce
- 2 bouillon cubes (Maggi)
- 1 tablespoon crayfish powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon locust beans
- 1/4 cup ede (Dried shrimps) (Optional)
- Precooked meat and fish – choice quantity
Direction
Combine the egusi with 2 table spoons of water, mix until you have a thick paste
Set a medium sized pot on medium heat, add in the groundnut oil. With a teaspoon, ball up the egusi mixture and drop into the oil. fry for 3 minutes.
Add 1.5 (one and half) cups of water into the fried egusi, cover and bring to a rolling boil.
Break up the egusi lumps into smaller bite size pieces (optional)
Add other ingredients apart from chopped vegetable. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 10-12mins.
Stir the egusi carefully, taste and adjust for salt. Add in the vegetable. simmer for another 3 minutes.
Serve your egusi with Amala, Eba, White rice or pounded Yam. Enjoy!!!
Keep up the good job sis, ure absolutely the bestest best.
Omg…. Ronke you are my savior!!!! I am 100% american but lovvvveeee the Nigerian culture and the food!!! Majority of my friends are Nigerian and I have found a new love for Nigerian food! To the point where I was always craving the food but having to wait for a party or go to this Nigerian restaurant that was a hit or miss every time I went there. Soooo…. I found out about your website just by googling Nigerian recipes. Since then I have been using your recipes and directions to cook up my own food. When I say these recipes are SPOT ON, I MEAN SPOT ON!!!!!! Everything that I have made so far I let a TRUE Nigerian taste them and they could say absolutely nothing wrong about them!!! They said I am taking them back home to REAL NIGERIAN food…. Lol. This egusi soup being one of my dishes my made!!!!😉
You are so genius to have every meal’s recipe down packed!!!!👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽👍🏽
I’ve been following some of your recipes for a while and they have all turned out fine ( coming from someone who cooks too). Thanks for the diversity and authenticity. This method turned out to be the best Egusi I’ve ever made! I altered it a bit by using less water and more broth, was just amazing. Big hug!
Thanks for the amazing feedback!
okay..
11 (2cups) of water? Just pour it in 11 times?
one and a half cups of water. added in all at once.
When did u add the Palm oil pls
The step before adding veg.
Eureka!!
Omg, I just finished trying the recipe ir turn out well and I love it and I have try other recipe too from your blog they are also good and thank you so much for doing this
thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
Hello..I just tried the YORUBA egusi…and I am so impressed of myself…hubby scored me 7.5 over 10…he will tell me what the 2.5 is about later when we are in bed..”blink -blink…thank you so much…I am about to try the bitter today as well..wl share feed back..God bless
Yeiii!! thanks for the feedback. Good luck with the other soup, I cant wait for the feedback.
I just finish preparing this recipe, it came out very nice and i love it.
Great ! thanks for the feedback.
I just finish preparing my egusi. Woow this is what I have been looking for for a
Very long time. It is just perfect. Thanks.
That’s good to hear. Thanks for the feedback
I actually used your recipe this time for my husband and he said it was perfect! It was very delicious, I love your recipes!
Please how did you make the eba rolls? Thanks
Thnks so much for this …. U jes saved my sorry ass dis afternoon…. Whoops I would av embarrassed myself in frnt of hz friends…thnks so much
Glad we could help.
If u want huge clumps in ur egusi mix wit a little bit less od d water n eggs..trust me u will be amazed..got that frm my mum..n it works all d time. My hubby luvs it. Make sure d egg is more than d egusi itself in d mix
Thanks for the tip!
This looks like a very interesting concept, another way to get clumps is to mix the egusi with eggs, I learnt that from my mum and it always turns out great. You’d have to mix it at the beginning and boil it along side the tomato puree which I normally do. And another way to maintain a level headed taste all round is to mix the egusi with salt, pepper and blended crayfish from the beginning.
I usually mix the dry egusi with egg white and drop in small balls into the boiling pepper sauce. Your method eliminates that step and I will be trying it tomorrow. No, right after I try the ogbono soup recipe I just bookmarked. :) BTW, I have found that substituting the pepper sauce with ground cameroun /black pepper and ground crayfish is a great way to vary the taste.
I don’t know how to cook any nigerian food tomorrow I’m planing to cook for my Man and my Mother-in-law **crossing fingers**
You will do great! let us know how it goes
I normally make the egusi clump by first making the efo. Then I prepare my egusi clump by mixing an egg with some egusi with a fork (lightly not an even mix). Then I drop the egg/egusi mixture into the efo with my hand or a spoon. This frying method is a new one :)
Pls do a 9jafoodie apps so we can download on Android and smart phones.
On it
Just finished cooking using ur recipe. I’m so very sure my hubby will love cos I’m living it already. I love d small balls. Thx
I used this recipe today and I can say that this is the best egusi soup I have made by far, come and see my Oga at the top swallowing eba like there’s no tomorrow. Thanks 9jafoodie
OMG!!!! That is so awesome to hear…. please share the recipe with family and friends
I used this recipe today and I can say that this is the best egusi soup I have made by far, come and see my Oga at the top swallowing eba like there’s no tomorrow. Thanks 9jafoodie
God I tried the recipe this evening wow my husband was so happy and surprise. Thanks guys
After trying this i only have one question
Will you marry me
Lol… glad you enjoyed the recipe
this looks good will surely try it
Thyy
Looking tasty… Can I substitute the groundnut oil with palm oil? Not too keen on g/oil in soup. Tnx :)
Just wondering, instead of adding water to the egusi after it has been fried – can you just add the water used in boiling the meat?
Yes you can
Thank you for this, I’m South African and my boyfriend is Nigerian, I am going to surprise him with Egusi on Saturday, hope he’ll like it, #holding thumbs.
Let us know how it goes
That’s going to burn my belle when I eat it. i’ve tired egsi, it doesnt taste that good
Thanks a lot. God bless you…
Amen!
Comment…I’ve tried and tried to get those clumps to no avail. But this looks like a method that will work. Can’t wait to try!!
PS: only just discover your site. Hmmmm…don’t make me an addict o!!!
We need you to be an addict oh….lol… let us know how your egusi turns out.
Pls, teach me how to make egusi stew, d one we grind the egusi with the pepper.
here is a great recipe for you : https://www.9jafoodie.com/2012/03/yoruba-style-egusi-soup/
My mum says to blend the egusi until smooth then slice some onions thinly into the egusi and blend again.
Nice site.
hOOO YEAh? to start with un-blended egusi? or mix the onions in the the blended one?
Jidda is right!!! How the onions make the egusi clump together the more, I can not say. I get my clumps by making the egusi paste mixed with onions. Then I fry in hot palm oil with minimal stirring until I get the desired clumps. I then add in the pepper sauce and other ingredients.
Another version is to make the egusi paste and add to the sauce while its boiling/cooking. You also do not have to stir it much until when the whole soup is almost cooked. This gives better clumps.
I have tried both methods and it gives me very good clumps. Pity; I don’t have pictures to show now.
Thanks Benny!! you should send us some pictures next time you cook. Thanks for the great addition.
My husband comes from Senegal, and I can not cook of food from Senegal, as it is very hard to find African recipes on the internet .
I will look into posting some Senegalese recipes.
Thank you for this recipe. I most show appreciations because it just boosted my morale to my friend.
I am very happy to hear that…
I usually fry the egusi in the pepper sauce with the palm oil. I will have to try this method! Looks good
Let us know how it turns out.
will definitely try this method. Ive seen a few videos on YT, but just could never get my egusi to clump together. May be the key is adding water after frying, so it doesnt brake apart when you add the pepper, veggies and others. thanks for sharing
curiouskinks.blogspot.com
You are welcome!
Omg! Looking at the at work makes want to cry for hunger! I will want to try this…yummy :)
xoxo
Stella
Thanks Stella, it’s really not too difficult once you get started.
wow if i lived close to you i will not cook again in my life. You will be my full time chef. And to think i was just complaining to my friend that there is no african cook for african dishes on food network. Think you should think about it.
http://www.secretlilies.blogspot.com
AMEN!! Food network here I come. I am a camera shy person,especially when i am not with my immediate circle. God has His plans I am sure. Thanks for the vote of confidence dear.
Fried Egusi? I would not have believed it if I didn’t see the pictures! This is one interesting technique I gasta try. Egusi soup is one of my favorite soups o! With pounded yam and goat meat, a pot-belly is inevitable … if you eat it all the time. LOL! Love this recipe, ma’am!
lol…all in moderation my love. Thank you thank you
The good thing is i hate egusi so for once,at least,i didn’t salivate.*walking out proud* LOL
lol….oya, clap for yourself.
Thanks 9ja foodie; tried this recipe; loved it and I’m definately sticking to this….xoxoxoxo
yeiiiii!! awesome.
this looks gooood! gosh!!!
Thanks you :)
now swallows imaginary eba and egusi
Lol lol
You just made my mouth water…
I’m soooo mad cos i ran out of palm oil a while back and have no idea how no get some where i am. I made egusi this afternoon with groundnut oil :'( It wasn’t bad per se but it just didn’t look right which made me feel like it didn’t taste right. A couple of hours later and i open your blog only to see palm oil smirking at me… this is not life o
Sorry dear, let us hope you can get some palm oil soonest.
So I followed your recipe with few modifications: stockfish in place of the shellfish and Oha leaves in place of spinach. THANK YOU for this new addition to my kitchen skills. It was very tasty. Can’t wait to try it with goat meat.
Yeiiiiii!!!! I am extremely happy to hear that, I am sure it will be epic with goat meat.
Delicious looking mehn! I will definitely try this recipe.
Thank u!
That is why Yoruba Egusi always taste different, good different. …Egusi on my mind
Haa… now you know the secret :)
Eat egusi made like this and you wont want it any other way trust me.I usually fry mine with palm oil so will definitely try using ground nut oil.
BTW your showing pictures of the different stages is a wonderful idea so we no what things are supposed to look like @ each stage looking forward to when you start showing videos too.
More grease to your elbow
Yes, I use groundnut oil to cut out some fat and calories. Thank you much!!! I will look into doing videos sometime :)
This is kind of way my mum makes egusi…yum!
Thanks dear :)
PS: Please reply to our email address. Thanks!
Will do.
Hi,
we loove your blog and would like to share your posts with our readers with link back to your site, is this OK?
Cheers!
Ashley Quen [email protected]
I’m definitely going to be trying this.
Yeiii!!! please let me know how it turns out.
Hmmm, yummy…9jafoodie has done it again.
Thumbs up!
Thanks much :)
I have seen four ways of preparing egusi and this is the fifth one lol. I will just combine all the techniques and make something incredible ( i hope).
Lol…. please create something and share with us.
Please can I make egusi soup with ball pepper since I dont have red oil?
yes you can, however, the color will not be as bright as red palm oil version
Looks interesting, i don’t think i have ever had that. Fascinating the medely of cuisine in the world.
have a blessed day and enjoy the rest of your week.
Rhapsody
p.s.
Please stop by my blog and pick up your award. The post is dated Mar.8.12
Thanks for the comment and the award! you rock :)
I think I am going to stick with regular style Eguisi soup as I am too much of an ole to eat pepper hence that pepper sauce is not going to fly by me.
You can always use bell pepper and tomatoes alone.
*Gulps and swallows* 9ja foodie o!
I’ll be day-dreaming about this and Eba now
lol…my bad :D