Egg Egusi Soup

Dare I say Egusi soup is Nigeria's number 1 soup? It really cuts across the country with various ethnic groups making theirs unique from the other. Of course it goes beyond Nigeria to other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa with variants in preparation as well. Today we shall be cooking with another method. This method uses eggs to create and bind the egusi lumps in the sauce. Its really tasty and if you weren't there when it was prepared you wouldn't have a clue that eggs were used.

INGREDIENTS

Dry ground egusi

Bell pepper (Tatashe)

Onions

Scotch Bonnet peppers (ata rodo)

1 raw egg

dried Shrimp

vegetable or palm oil

ground crayfish

Assorted meat

Iru

Bitterleaf (washed)

Stock cubes

METHOD

Mold your lumps and set aside. This is done by mixing in the egusi with the raw eggs by hand. Then use your hand to further mold into small lumps.

Blend your peppers with onions and fry in heated oil.

After 7mins add in the smoke prawns (always wash to remove dirts and sands)

Next the locust beans (iru), cray fish and stock cubes...

Then the washed smoked turkey.. Stir and cover with a lid, allowing to cook for 2mins

After 2mins, add in the melons.. (If you find the peppers too thick at this point, just add in little water).

Stir gently , then cover to cook for 6-8mins.. Now taste for enough stock or salt

Next add in the washed bitter leaves 

Stir, allowing to simmer for few mins, the oil used should at this point settled at the top.

Serve with any swallow (eba, pounded yam, semovita, even rice etc).. I prefare mine with COLD EBA