EGUSI ELEFO META (Efo elegusi)

What you will need to make your yummy egusi elefo meta

Ground melon

350g spinach, chopped

250g kale, chopped

1-2 handful uziza, chopped

2-3 Csp Palm oil (serving spoon)

1wrap locust beans

Salt

Seasoning

Smoked fish

Assorted meat/offal (shaki, ponmo, liver, lungs )

Pepper mix ( tatashe, ata rodo and onions)

Water

Method

Rinse the vegetables and leave to drain. If you would be using frozen vegetables, allow to thaw before using. Squeeze out excess water and set aside

Wash and rinse assorted meat clean. If you would be using offal, it is best you first boil with just water and little salt for about 12 minutes to get rid of blood. Rinse clean afterwards and then bring to boil, add salt, seasoning, onions till tender. Reserve the stock for the egusi soup

Now lets move on to the soup. Quick tips before we start, go easy on the salt when cooking egusi soup. If the meat stock is well seasoned, you might not need to season the soup anymore. If you have to use salt at all, let it be the last thing you would add to the soup. Egusi soup have a way of sucking up salt and if care is not taken, you end up with soup tasting like it is cooked with sea water

Add warm water to ground melon to form a paste

Place a pot on a medium heat, add palm oil, heat till hot and add chopped onions

Add the melon paste, reduce the heat and continue to stir till egusi start to form lumps. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.

 Add the blended pepper to the fried egusi (melon) and stir to combine, add stock or water to lighten the soup. Add the cooked assorted meat and bring to boil for about 15 minutes making sure you stir at interval. Add the locust beans and continue to cook for another 5 to minutes, check for salt and seasoning and add according to taste, shred the smoked fish into the soup and stir carefully to avoid breaking the fish.

Add the vegetables to the egusi soup and stir till well incorporated into the egusi soup. Add water if need be, check for salt and seasoning and adjust to taste.

  

Serve when warm.