| EGUSI SOUP IN OLIVE OIL | | | | Pour the cassava mixture into the mortar and mix with |
| INGREDIENTS | | | | water until a smooth paste is formed; break up into |
| Meat - according to your budget or if you prefer | | | | miniature ball using the hands to form the balls. |
| Chicken or Turkey | | | | Drop each ball gently into the boiling water and cook |
| 1 cup of shelled Egusi seeds | | | | for 5 mins. |
| 1 medium sized dry fish. | | | | Remove each ball gently from the pot into the mortar |
| 1 medium sized smoked fish (catfish or any suitable | | | | and pound using the pestle until a thick paste forms, |
| variety) | | | | mold into balls again and bring the pot to boil again. |
| 1 medium sized stockfish | | | | Drop each ball gently into the boiling water and cook |
| 1 large onion | | | | for 5 mins. |
| 6 Red Peppers (chili) - blended. | | | | Remove from the pot and set pot aside, pound again |
| 3 Large red pepper - blended | | | | until you get a thick paste that looks well cooked and |
| 1 cup of Crayfish - blended | | | | it's ready for eating. |
| 2 soup spoonful of Goya brand olive oil. | | | | PREPARATION 2 |
| 2 Maggi | | | | Fill a sauce pan with water and add the cassava |
| Salt | | | | mixture into it until you get a smooth paste, make sure |
| 1 bunch of Ugu | | | | that you are not using a lot of water instead start with |
| Bitterleaf (washed and bitterness completely | | | | a little at a time till you get the smooth paste. |
| squeezed out). | | | | Heat the mixture over medium heat and continue |
| PREPARATION | | | | stirring periodically as the mixture thickens. |
| All kitchen disinfection, cleansing and preparation of | | | | It would take a while about 25 - 30 mins for the |
| ingredients before cooking is duly observed. Roast | | | | mixture to become thoroughly cooked and throughout |
| Egusi seeds on a tray in an oven for about 20 mins | | | | this period, you have to keep stirring or the mixture |
| (this helps to reduce the oily effect) and allow to cool | | | | forms thick curds that are unpleasant and makes the |
| and blend with the Rhodo, tatashe and a little bit of | | | | final food unpalatable. You may have to bring down |
| onion. | | | | the pot at this stage and hold it firmly between the |
| Heat the olive oil in a clean pot and add a cube of | | | | soles of your feet for a firm grip and stir vigorously or |
| magi and a pinch of salt, stir to mix up and add the | | | | you may solicit the help of another to hold the pot |
| blended pepper mixture. Fry for a while and set aside. | | | | while you stir. |
| In another clean pot put the washed meat, stock fish, | | | | The mixture will become very thick and hard as you |
| magi and salt and a little bit of the onion, boil until meat | | | | continue stirring keep on stirring until a thick lump of |
| is a little tender. | | | | consistent and thick mass is before you, then its ready. |
| Heat up the fried pepper again, add Egusi and continue | | | | You can find the already prepared ones in the market |
| frying for about 3 mins to mix and blend. | | | | available for instant eating but personally, if I don't know |
| Add the cleaned smoked fish and crayfish and cook | | | | the seller and can't vouch for the overall hygiene in the |
| for about 3 mins, then add the meat stock and stir | | | | course of the preparation then I don't buy. This is |
| thoroughly to blend (some people would remove the | | | | because most of those being sold in the market have |
| meat from the meat stock and add it to the soup | | | | an unpleasant smell and taste and you might be |
| when it is almost ready but I prefer to cook everything | | | | repelled but if you can manage it then its ok but then |
| together so I cook only for a few mins or when a little | | | | some of the are also very good and clean and |
| tender and use the meat and stock during the rest of | | | | moreover, it saves you a lot of time. |
| my preparation together). Add the washed bitterleaf | | | | POUNDED YAM |
| and cook for a few mins. | | | | INGREDIENTS |
| Add the shredded ugu leaves and simmer for about 1 | | | | Tuber of yam |
| min and remove from heat. Can be served with low | | | | Mortar |
| calorie tuber dish like amala and pounded yam. | | | | Pestle |
| Nigerian tuber food dishes are made by boiling the | | | | PREPARATION |
| tuber food variety - Yam, Cassava, Cocoyam, Plantain | | | | Take the tuber of yam and cut up into small pieces, so |
| or rice in water for a specific period of time and then | | | | that it would soften on time. |
| pounding in a wooden mortar and pounded with a | | | | Cook until soft and remove from heat. |
| wooden pestle. Let me show you how to make this | | | | Gently one by one remove from the pot and put into |
| tuber dishes of ours that stand out everywhere. It can | | | | the mortar with the exception of the head of the yam |
| be eaten with a variety of soups and stews. | | | | because it would form irritating balls in the smooth |
| Now let's make our tuber dish to go with the soup, I will | | | | overall dough to be produced. |
| prepare each listed above because they are easy and | | | | Pound gently and as if forms the dough or a lumpy |
| fast to prepare. | | | | mass that thickens as you continue to pound |
| EBA (GARRI) | | | | maintaining consistency, add a little hot water to form |
| INGREDIENTS | | | | even dough after a while when you observe that the |
| Water | | | | lump is thick and hard and we want the dish to be - |
| Cassava flour (sold as garri in the market) | | | | smooth and consistent. Once the lump is soften and |
| PREPARATION | | | | less thick, it's ready for serving/eating. |
| Depending on how many people you are making the | | | | SEMOLINA/SEMOVITA |
| dish for, pour a measure of water that should be | | | | INGREDIENTS |
| enough for the number of people ( you have to be | | | | Semolina/semovita |
| sure or if not when making the Eba don't use up all the | | | | Water |
| water if you feel its too much) into a kettle and heat | | | | Spatula |
| up to boiling point. | | | | PREPARATION |
| Take a large bowl or container that can take the | | | | Pour water into a pot and place over heat and sift |
| quantity of Eba you are making and pour in the | | | | Semolina/Semovita to remove coarse particles. |
| measured water into the bowl. | | | | Allow to boil and gently pour in the Semolina/Semovita |
| Sprinkle the cassava flour gently into the bowl until the | | | | into the pot using a small cup and at the same time |
| mixture before you is thick, take a spatula or a large | | | | turn the mixture as it thickens until no more Semolina |
| wooden spoon (if you don't have a spatula) and turn | | | | Semovita is left over low heat. |
| the mixture until well blended and fluffy, (you would | | | | Continue stirring until the mixture to become thoroughly |
| have to turn it a number of times to get the right | | | | cooked and throughout this period, you have to keep |
| consistency) and "Voila" the dish is ready to go with | | | | stirring or the mixture forms thick curds that are |
| the Egusi soup. | | | | unpleasant and makes the final food unpalatable. You |
| FUFU (AKPU - IGBO) | | | | may have to bring down the pot at this stage and hold |
| INGREDIENTS | | | | it firmly between the soles of your feet for a firm grip |
| Water | | | | and stir vigorously or you may solicit the help of |
| Cassava mixture (sold in the market as akpu) normally | | | | another to hold the pot while you stir. |
| white and wet | | | | The mixture will become very thick and hard as you |
| Mortar | | | | continue stirring keep on stirring until a thick lump of |
| Pestle | | | | consistent and thick mass is before you, then its ready. |
| PREPARATION 1 | | | | I will stop here from now until we see again. I hope you |
| Fill a sauce pan with water midway and heat to boiling | | | | learned something today from my Nigerian recipes. |
| point | | | | |