Egusi Egbado (Yewa) - Recipe and Preparation

Egusi (popularly known as melon) is a West African plant that when dried and grounded become a staple ingredients in many West African dishes. Species from which egusi is derived include Cucumeropsis mannii and Citrullus lanatus. 

Major Egusi-growing nations include Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana, Cote d'lvoire, Benin and Cameroon, according to the press released on "Lost Crops of Africa; Volume II", by the National Research Council in 2006.

In this article, we will be sharing with you one of the special delicacies widely prepared and  eaten by the Egbados (Yewas), the eastern part of Ogun State, Nigeria. This specially made soup is called Egusi Egbado. We will also be sharing with you the recipe for this special delicacy.

The Egbado, now Yewa are the tribe of the Yoruba people, and inhabit the eastern area of Ogun West Senatorial District, Ogun State, in southwest Nigeria, Africa. In 1995, they changed their name to the Yewa. Yewa now comprises 4 local governments, namely; Yewa South, Yewa North, Imeko-Afon and Ipokia. While the Ado-Odo/Ota local government area forms the 5th Awori part of the senatorial district.

Egusi Egbado is known for its uniqueness, molded shape (where the ground Egusi is molded into balls and cooked in the soup such that you will be eating the Egusi balls like meat), delicious taste, attractiveness and method of preparation applied by the Egbados when cooking this soup.

Recipe for Egusi Egbado (Yewa)

• Melon
• Palmoil
• Vegetable
• Onions
• Pepper
• Salt to taste
• Maggie
• Ogiri Okpei (traditional locust beans: optional)
• Smoked fish (Eja Apasun) free from skin
• Stock fish
• Cray fish
• Beaf
• Cow skin (panmo)
• Bitter leaf (optional)

Note: Drained smoked fish, oysters and chicken can be used  in place of the beef.

Method 1:

1. Grind the melon, pepper and onions "without tomatoes." Here, the aftermath water when grinding the melon is required and you may put it in another bowl.

2. Add little salt to taste and stir together with spoon. Be very careful with the quantity of salt to add especially if you are still going to add locust beans.

3. Place the pot on gass cooker to heat, then pour palmoil inside it and allow to heat.

4. Pour the grinded melon, pepper and onions into the heated palmoil. Allow to cook at a lower temperature for about 2-4 minutes so as to rise and form a molded shape.

5. Carefully turn the melon by the sides/edge of the pot with spoon. Ensure that molded melon is formed.

6. Add the chopped vegetables, locust beans and the melon water (which you have reserved while grinding). Stir together gently, then allow it to cook for some minutes.

7. Add the stock fish, smoked fish, cray fish, diced cow skin and seasoning. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 4-5 minnutes.

8. Taste for salt. You may add more salt if needed.

9. Bring down the soup from gass cooker. Serve with Eba, Amala, tuwo, fufu, pounded yam, senovita, wheat, or any other swallow you prefer.

Method 2:

1. Grind the melon without water.

2. Grind the onions and pepper. You may use dry pepper in this case.

3. Thoroughly mix the grinded melon, and part of the onions with little salt and maggie together in a bowl. Mix with little water.

4. Place your pot on the gass cooker, pour little water and add the grinded pepper and the remaining onions. Allow it to simmer.

5. Mold the mixed melon and onions into it and allow to cook for 2-4 minutes.

6. Add the chopped vegetables, bitter leaf, palmoil, locust beans and seasoning. Then cover the pot and allow to boil.

7. Add beef, smoked fish, diced cow skin, cray fish and stocked fish then allow to cook.

8. Taste for salt. You may add more salt if needed.

9. Bring the soup down from gass cooker and serve with Eba, Amala, Fufu, pounded yam, senovita, tuwo, wheat, or any other swallow you prefer.

Please note the following:

• Do not use tomatoes, groundnut oil, or meat that contains fat. These will neither allow the melon to rise nor form a molded shape as this is one of the basic qualities of Egusi Egbado.

• Use little salt at the earliest stage. Remember, the locust beans is the soft one which absorbed more quantity of salt that cannot be washed out. If this is not borne in mind, your Egusi soup might be  salty.