Egusi Soup

Ingredients

• 500 g beef, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups water
• ½ cup palm oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers and 1 scotch bonnet, blended
• 1½ cups ground egusi (melon seeds)
• 2 tbsp ground dried crayfish
• 1 smoked fish, flaked, bones removed
• 300 g spinach, chopped

Method

1. Simmer the beef with the salt, half the onion and the water for 40 minutes until tender. Keep the cooking liquid.
2. Heat the palm oil, fry the rest of the onion, then add the blended peppers and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Mix the egusi with a little water to a paste and add it in spoonfuls. Leave it to set for 5 minutes, then stir gently into curds.
4. Add the beef with its cooking liquid, the crayfish and smoked fish. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Serve with fufu or pounded yam.

Gluten-free check: Many cooks add a stock cube; if you do, use one labelled gluten-free – most standard cubes are not. Buy pure ground egusi and pure ground crayfish with nothing added.