Egusi seeds without shells
Egusi soup atop a dish, with pounded yam (upper left)

Egusi sauce is a culinary sauce prepared with egusi seeds as a primary ingredient.[1] Egusi seeds are the fat- and protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous (squash, melon, gourd) plants. Egusi sauce is common and prevalent across Central Africa as mbíka, and may be served atop rice, cooked vegetables, or grilled meat, such as goat, chicken, beef, or fish.[1][2][3] It may also be served atop fufu, omelettes, amala, and eba,[2][4][5][6] among other foods. Egusi soup is also consumed in West Africa, sometimes with chicken.[7]

Preparation

Egusi sauce is prepared by grinding egusi seeds, from which a paste is created.[1] There are two methods of preparing egusi soup:[8]

1. Frying method: Egusi paste is fried in palm oil before adding other ingredients.[8]

2. Boiling method: Small lumps of egusi paste are added to boiling water and broken into pieces after cooking for 10 minutes.[8]

Soup ingredients may include tomato, onion, chili pepper, and cooking oil, such as palm oil.[1][3] Sometimes pumpkin seeds are substituted in place of egusi seeds.[1]

Similar dishes

Main article: Egusi

Egusi soup is a kind of soup thickened with the ground seeds and popular in West Africa, with considerable local variation. Besides the seeds, water, and oil, egusi soup typically contains leaf vegetables and other vegetables, seasonings, and meat.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Jacob, Jeanne; Ashkenazi, Michael (2014-01-15). The World Cookbook: The Greatest Recipes from Around the Globe, Revised Edition. pp. 239–240. ISBN 9781610694698.
  2. ^ a b "Goat and Beef With Egusi Sauce". The Washington Post. February 29, 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  3. ^ a b Katende, Jude (January 8, 2009). "A taste of Nigerian fufu in Kampala". New Vision. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  4. ^ Evans, Andrew (2004). Veg Out Vegetarian Guide to Washington,, Part 3. p. 19. ISBN 9781586854713.
  5. ^ Ainley, Sarah (2008). Around the world in 450 recipes. p. 26. ISBN 9781844775279. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  6. ^ Adesokan, Akinwumi (2004). Roots in the Sky. p. 211. ISBN 9789780645403.
  7. ^ The Recipes of Africa. p. 54.
  8. ^ a b c Ajoke (2020-05-14). "Egusi Soup Recipe - How to cook egusi soup". My Active Kitchen. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
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