Egusi Soup

Egusi soup is one of the most popular soups in Nigeria. This was my favorite soup till I discovered afang soup. There are different ways to make this soup and I’ve seen at least 4 different ways from my mom. From frying the egusi first…to boiling it with the meat stock…to rolling into small balls…to soaking the egusi in water first. The soup still turns out really nice regardless of the method used. However, I prefer to soak the egusi in water first so that’s the recipe I’ll use. I’m curious to know what method you usually use to cook your egusi so please comment below and tell me…Thanks!!!

Ingredients: 
3 cups of Egusi (ask the grinders in the market to grind it for you) 
Meat (I used beef, tripe and cow head but feel free to use whatever kind you like)
Dry Fish
Stock Fish
Pumpkin Leaves (Ugu)
Crayfish 
Pepper 
2 Medium sized onions 
Palm Oil 
Knorr and Salt to taste

Directions: Season the meat with knorr, salt and onions. Cook till the meat is almost done. Strain the meat from the stock and set both aside.

Add the egusi to a bowl.

Add some water to make a thick paste. Set aside.

Add some palm oil to a big pot, slice half onions and put into the hot oil.

Add the egusi paste to the hot oil and turn well.

You will know the egusi is dry when palm oil starts seeping out from the egusi. Fry some more till it’s VERY dry.

Add the meat stock to the dry egusi. Blend half onions, pepper and crayfish and add to the egusi. Add the meat and allow everything simmer for like 10minutes or till some of the meat stock has dried and the egusi has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Cut up the ugu leaves and add to the pot. Cover the pot again and allow simmer for like 5minutes. Put off the heat and your egusi is ready.
(Sorry, I lost the picture while I was editing it).

Serve with garri, semolina, wheat, fufu/loi loi, pounded yam or any other “swallow” of your choice.

Fried Rice

Ingredients:
5 cups of rice
1 ½ kg chicken/turkey
½ kg of Carrots
2 large Green Peppers
1 can green peas
10 hotdogs
4 Spring Onions
1 Onion bulb
Knorr cubes
Curry
Salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Powdered Ginger
Vegetable Oil


Directions:
Chop up the vegetables and sausages and set aside.

Parboil the rice and set aside.

Season the meat with Knorr, Curry, Salt, and Ginger and ground pepper. Cut the onions and garlic and add to the meat.

Steam the meat on low heat till it brings out its own stock. When the meat is almost done, add some water and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Let it cook a little more. Make sure you have enough stock to finish cooking the rice.

When the meat is done, strain it from the stock and fry or bake. Return the stock to the stove and bring to a boil.

Pour in the parboiled rice into the chicken stock.

Cook till the rice is done and water is fully dried.

Add a little oil to a big pot and fry the hotdogs for 2minutes, then add the carrots and fry for another 2 minutes, then add the other veggies and fry for 1 minute. Season with knorr, curry and some salt.

Add the cooked rice to the veggies and mix well.

Enjoy with a big piece of chicken or turkey ;)

Puff Puff

Ingredients:
3 ½ cups of All Purpose Flour
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg (finely grated)
2 cups of warm water
Oil for frying

Directions:
Mix 1 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl and then sprinkle yeast.

Allow yeast to activate for 5mins. You should get a good froth like this. If you don't, discard and start all over.

Mix other ingredients in a bowl (minus oil, plus 1 cup warm water), add the activated yeast.

Mix well and allow rise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour of rise, the dough would be double in size with lots of air pockets.

Heat oil up, scoop one tablespoon of dough into the hot oil. If you don't mind being messy like me, you can use your hand for this part...squeeze the dough out from the bottom of your hand to make it rounded for frying.

Fry till it's well browned.

Drain from oil and unto a plate lined with paper towels.

Ofe Akwu (Banga Soup)

So I decided to cook something different this sunday. It's been almost 10 years since I made ofe akwu. Pounding those palm kernels was so nostalgic. I enjoy this dish but it's one of those I rarely make. This is different from the banga soup used to eat starchy solids. This one is used for rice and loved by every Igbo person I know especially my Nnewi friends ;) Anyway, let's get cooking already!

Ingredients:
1 medium sized basin of palm fruits
1 kg goat meat (or any meat u like)
1 cup of crayfish
2 onions
8 habanero peppers
2 bundles of scent leaves
1 medium bunch pumpkin leaves (ugu)
3 knorr cubes
Salt to taste.

Directions:
Boil the meat with seasonings, strain from the stock and set aside.

Wash the palm fruits and boil for about 20mins.

Drain the palm fruits from the water and put in a mortar.

Pound for about 20 minutes till it releases its chaff.

Transfer to a smaller basin and pour boiling water into the chaff.

Using a seive, remove the chaff and carefully strain the oil extract into a clean pot.

Repeat the hot water process till there's no more oil on the chaff. It'll be whiter that when you started.

Allow the extract rest and then decant into a fresh pot. You'll see debris sediments on d bottom of the pot...you don't want that in your food.

Boil the extract till it reduces to about half and becomes thicker.

Add your blended onions, pepper and crayfish. Add the meat and stock too and cover the pot to boil. It should thicken after a while.

Then add the ugu and scent leaves.

ENJOY with white rice.