Egusi Soup with Pounded Yam

Egusi is the soup that gathers a family. The melon seeds give it body and a nutty depth. The palm oil gives it color and richness. The protein layering — fish, meat, sometimes both — gives it the kitchen-table seriousness that defines Nigerian Sunday cooking.

Ingredients

For the soup

• 2 cups ground egusi (melon seeds)
• 1/2 cup palm oil
• 1 large onion, blended
• 4 large red bell peppers, blended
• 3 scotch bonnet peppers, blended (adjust for heat)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lb beef or goat (cut into chunks)
• 1/2 lb smoked fish (mackerel or catfish)
• 2 tbsp ground crayfish (optional but traditional)
• 2 stock cubes
• 1 tbsp ground locust beans (iru) or fermented seasoning
• 1 bunch spinach or bitterleaf, washed and chopped
• Salt to taste
• 3 cups beef or fish stock

For the pounded yam

• 2 lbs white yam (true yam, not sweet potato)
• Water for boiling

Method

For the soup

1. Cook the beef/goat in a pot with salt, half the blended onion, and water until tender (45 minutes). Reserve stock.

2. Mix the ground egusi with about 1/2 cup of stock to form a thick paste. Set aside.

3. Heat palm oil in a large pot. Once hot but not smoking, add the remaining blended onion. Fry 3 minutes.

4. Add the blended peppers and tomato paste. Cook 10 minutes until the raw smell cooks off and oil rises to the surface.

5. Drop spoonfuls of the egusi paste into the pot — do NOT stir at first. Let it firm up for 3-4 minutes, then gently fold through.

6. Add the cooked meat, smoked fish (broken into chunks), ground crayfish, stock cubes, and locust beans. Add 2 cups of stock. Simmer 15 minutes.

7. Add the chopped spinach. Cook 3-5 minutes until wilted but still bright green. Taste and adjust salt and heat.

For the pounded yam

1. Peel the yam, cut into chunks, and boil in salted water 25-30 minutes until very tender — a fork should slide through with no resistance.

2. Drain. Transfer to a mortar (or sturdy bowl). Pound with a pestle (or use a powerful stand mixer with dough hook) until completely smooth, stretchy, and lump-free.

3. Wet your hands and form into smooth balls.

Eat with the right hand: pinch off a piece of pounded yam, dip into the soup, and eat. Do not chew the yam — swallow whole, as is tradition.