Egusi soup

Name: Egusi soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Sierra Leone
Ingredients: 500 g stewing beef in 3 cm cubes; 100 g food-grade shelled finely ground egusi seeds; 100 g hot-smoked already cooked fish, skin and bones removed; 250 g chopped tomatoes; 150 g sliced onion; 200 g washed chopped fresh spinach; 30 ml food-grade red palm oil; 900 ml hot water, more if needed; Small piece chilli optional; Up to ½ tsp salt

🌰 A thick ground-egusi sauce with beef, cooked smoked fish, tomatoes and spinach, without stockfish.

Ingredients

500 g stewing beef in 3 cm cubes
100 g food-grade shelled finely ground egusi seeds
100 g hot-smoked already cooked fish, skin and bones removed
250 g chopped tomatoes
150 g sliced onion
200 g washed chopped fresh spinach
30 ml food-grade red palm oil
900 ml hot water, more if needed
Small piece chilli optional
Up to ½ tsp salt

Preparation

Simmer beef with 700 ml of water, half the onion and little salt about fifty minutes until beginning to soften; extend as needed.

In another pan soften remaining onion in oil five minutes. Add tomatoes and optional chilli; cook ten minutes stirring.

Transfer beef and broth into tomato base. Mix egusi with remaining 200 ml water and gradually stir in.

Simmer gently ten minutes, stirring regularly so seeds cook without sticking. Add little hot water if too thick.

Add thoroughly deboned fish and spinach. Cook at least five more minutes until leaves cooked, fish hot and beef tender; extend as needed.

Taste then adjust salt and remove intact chilli. Four portions of thick sauce; rice, fufu or yam prepared separately.