Nigerian Egusi Soup (Ọ̀bẹ̀ Ègúsí) — Melon Seed Stew with Greens and Fish

• 250 ghulled egusi seeds (finely ground)
• 180 mlwarm water (for making the egusi paste)
• 180 mlred palm oil
• 2large yellow onion (1 chopped for stock, 1 blended with peppers)
• 1red bell pepper (seeded and roughly chopped)
• 2Scotch bonnet peppers (use 1 for milder heat)
• 1500 mlwater
• 600 gbeef chuck (cut into 4 cm chunks)
• 300 ghoneycomb tripe (cleaned and cut into 4 cm pieces)
• 100 gstockfish (soaked until pliable and rinsed)
• 150 gsmoked dried fish (rinsed, deboned, and broken into large flakes)
• 30 gground crayfish
• 2 tbspfermented locust beans (iru, rinsed)
• 2halal-certified beef bouillon cubes (use gluten-free cubes if needed)
• 10 gfine sea salt
• 1 tspground dried chile (optional, for extra heat)
• 250 gugu leaves (sliced; spinach may be used if ugu is unavailable)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the beef, tripe, stockfish, chopped onion, 1 bouillon cube, 5 g salt, and 1500 ml water in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook until the beef is tender and the tripe is pleasantly chewy, about 55 to 65 minutes.

2. 2

   While the meat cooks, blend the remaining onion with the red bell pepper and Scotch bonnet peppers until mostly smooth. Do not add more than 60 ml water unless the blender needs help moving, because a watery pepper blend will thin the soup and delay frying.

3. 3

   Stir the ground egusi with 180 ml warm water in a bowl to form a thick, spoonable paste. Let it stand for 10 minutes so the ground seeds hydrate, which helps them form soft curds instead of turning gritty.

4. 4

   When the meat is tender, lift the beef, tripe, and stockfish into a bowl and strain or skim the cooking liquid if needed. Measure 700 ml of the stock for the soup and reserve any extra for loosening the pot later.

5. 5

   Set a wide heavy pot over medium heat and add the red palm oil. Warm it for 2 minutes until it is glossy but not smoking, then stir in the pepper blend and fry for 10 to 12 minutes, scraping often, until the raw pepper smell softens and the oil begins to separate.

6. 6

   Add the egusi paste in heaped spoonfuls across the surface of the fried pepper base. Cover the pot and let the paste steam undisturbed for 6 minutes, then gently turn the curds so they set into tender clumps rather than dissolving completely.

7. 7

   Pour in 700 ml reserved meat stock, then add the cooked beef, tripe, stockfish, smoked dried fish, ground crayfish, iru, remaining bouillon cube, remaining 5 g salt, and ground dried chile if using. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring carefully from the bottom so the egusi thickens without scorching.

8. 8

   Fold in the sliced ugu leaves and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the greens soften but keep their color. Rest the soup off the heat for 10 minutes before serving, because the egusi will continue to thicken and the palm oil will settle into a glossy layer.