Efo Elegusi

Efo elegusi is made with ground melon seeds and vegetables such as spinach or fluted pumpkin (ugwu). It is enriched with various protein such as meat, fish and prawns. It is popular among the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria.

Grounded melon (egusi) can be cooked in several ways; we will be focusing on cooking it with vegetables and frying the egusi first.  

Ingredients

1kg Spinach

200g Melon seeds or grounded (Egusi)

Assorted meat of choice (goat meat, tripe (Shaki), beef, cow leg, cow skin (ponmo))

Jumbo Prawns

Dry cat fish fillet, stock fish fillet and prawns

1 cooking spoonful palm oil

1 scotch bonnet

1 Onion

1tsp grounded crayfish

2 Stock cubes

Wash, season and cook your assorted meat. Soak the dry fish fillets in boil water and set aside.

Cut some of your assorted meat in small pieces and leave the rest uncut or cut everything and make red stew on the side with the uncut meat (This is optional)

Put your melon seeds in the blender add little water, onion and pepper then grind till it forms a paste. If your egusi is grounded already grind the scotch bonnet and onion only adding little water. 

Boil the kettle, slice your spinach and put it in a sieve.

Add the boiling water, squeeze the water out and place on the side.

Heat the oil, add the blended paste or the blended paste with dry egusi and fry. Stir constantly until it thickens for about 15 minutes.

Add the crayfish and stock cubes.

Add the assorted meat, dry prawns, stock fish fillet and catfish fillet.

Add the assorted meat and jumbo prawns and let it all simmer for 3 minutes

Add the sliced spinach and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with pounded yam.

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