Thumpy Rose Our Egusi stew recipe is made with ground melon seeds and it is one of the very popular Nigerian recipe and we make it your healthy vegetarian African food. Know how to make fufu soup? Do not worry, we show you how featuring one of our many red palm oil recipes. This flavorful egusi recipe is most popular so get with ‘the in crowd’! We are exploring Africa through healthy foods, join us and subscribe to be notified monthly. Curious about a no-animal-meat food lifestyle? peep instagram to see what I eat live.
Nigeria, why you dey hug such riches?! Ma people who don’t know, this dish is sweet past mouth sef! not even exaggerating or hyping.
Related: What is West African foods like?
What is Egusi seeds?
Clearly, it is inexplicable to talk about egusi seeds without mentioning egusi itself.
Without history, there is no life.
Nigerian Proverb
Firstly, Egusi means ‘melon’ in the Yoruba/Igbo language. Nigerians and other West Africans generally call it ‘wild watermelon’. This means egusi is a relative of watermelon; similar in appearance too, only that its watermelon seeds has a bitter/sour taste. Egusi is therefore grown primarily for its seeds- egusi seeds. Makes sense, right? Isn’t vegetarian African food so simple?
So, these nutty protein-rich seeds are from egusi and are essential in Nigerian recipe like this one. Now you have another use for red palm oil recipes.
Melon seeds- egusi seeds – apparently have a natural sweetness, not like sugar and you will know since I didn’t add any sugar to it. Ma people, heaven is here on earth yah and foods like these remind us. Egusi stew recipe allows you to feel like a true Nigerian or close to being. Better yet, wanting how to make fufu soup, this gives you another option
When ground and made into a paste, egusi seeds thicken stews and soups. Moreover, these tasty melon seeds possess great nutritional value, which are essential in vegetarian African food. Adding them to your diet not only balances your blood sugar but fights inflammation and enables you to lose weight the healthier way!
Video Recipe:
Fufu and Egusi Stew Essential Utensil
As modernity dey here, wahala done dey. To elevate the flavor of this delicacy, eat this dish with your washed hand. No spoon or fork is necessary because you have hands. Authentic African foods such as this African stew recipe deserve to be eaten authentically to maximize the taste.
Melon Seeds plus Nectar of the Gods
Undoubtedly, African red palm oil is one of the most important ingredients in making this tasty melon seed stew. Egusi soup or stew contains leafy greens, red palm oil, ground egusi, and seasoning. Red palm oil recipes like this one and Egusi seeds pair well in this dish. Together we have a robust flavor of sweet, salty, little spicy, and earthy, the latter which the palm oil adds. Chaley, pass me dey plate!
Please see the video above for a rough guide on how to prepare this dish. Cook this food if you are inspired and comment below or tag us on social media if you did prepare it!
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Tasty Egusi Stew
To elevate the flavor of this delicacy, eat this dish with your washed hand. No spoon or fork is necessary because you have hands.
Ingredients
- 4 oz ground Melon Seeds (Egusi) (store-bought or self-ground)
- Half Cup Chunky Salsa Or Diced tomatoes
- 1/4 Onion diced
- 1 Garlic mince
- 1 habanero pepper (optional)
- *Enough home-made Seitan (or fried Firm Tofu)
- 1.5 Cup Spinach
- 4-5 TBSP Palm Oil
- 1.3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4tsp (3x) Salt (added in different stages)
- The desired amount of ground black pepper & salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the palm oil on very low heat and add onions and garlic to heated oil and sautee for 1minute in a nonstick cooking pan.
- Add Salsa mix and allow it to cook, allowing excess moisture to dry out.
- Prep your store bought ground Egusi by pouring it into a bowl and add water to cover the ground egusi seeds in a bowl to make a paste. Let it sit while you satuee other things.
- Turn off the heat to very low so that the palm oil doesn't splatter. Add in habanero pepper and a quarter teaspoon of salt.
- Add in ground egusi seeds paste, do not stir-turn heat to low
- Add vegetable broth. Remember, do not to stir this mixture after adding in the ground egusi seeds paste. This nonstick cooking pot comes in handy here👌
- Add in precooked seitan, without stiring, cover the pot and let it cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Season the stew by adding an eighth teaspoon of salt and ground black pepper. Stir at this point.
- Add in frozen spinach and an eighth teaspoon of salt. Stir to ensure the spinach is evenly distributed.
- Pass me dey plate!! Enjoy😋
Notes
- To cook homemade seitan, cut the seitan dough into small pieces.
- Turn on the heat with a cooking pan on it, pour in vegetable broth. It is important to fill up the pan with vegetable broth so as it starts to boil, the seitan doesn't touch the bottom of the pan.
- So that I don't use all of my broth, I poured in about half of it and added 1/2 a cup of water.
- Bring this to boil and add in the seitan a piece at a time. This is the best method to cook your seitan because as you flavor the broth, seitan will absorb all the amazing flavors you've boiled it in.
- Simmer it on medium heat for about 8 minutes. Remember not to cover the pan as this will cause the seitan to flatten.
- Turn off the heat and take out the seitan. Save the broth for use later.
