Garden Egg Salad

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 medium white or green garden eggs (African eggplant)
• 1 big cooking spoon of palm oil
• 2 big tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tatashe (red bell pepper), chopped
• 2 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), chopped
• 1 big onion, chopped
• 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
• 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
• Salt to taste
• A small handful of ground egusi (melon seeds) — optional, for thickening
• 1 handful of smoked or dried fish, flaked — optional

Method

1. 01

   Boiling the Garden Eggs. Rinse the garden eggs thoroughly. Do not peel. Place them whole in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until just tender when pierced with a fork — they should not be mushy. Drain and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

2. 02

   Mashing. Once slightly cooled, cut the garden eggs in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, discarding the skins. Mash the flesh roughly with a fork — leave some texture, do not over-mash into a paste. The slightly chunky texture is characteristic of this dish.

3. 03

   Making the Sauce. Heat the palm oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry for 2 minutes until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, Tatashe and Atarodo. Fry together for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes are fully cooked down and the oil rises to the surface. Add ground crayfish, crushed seasoning cubes and salt. Stir well.

4. 04

   Combining. Add the mashed garden egg flesh to the sauce. Stir very well to incorporate everything. If using ground egusi, mix it in now — it will thicken the sauce and add a nutty richness. If using flaked smoked fish, add it at this stage. Cook for a further 5 minutes on low heat, stirring, until everything is well combined and the mixture is glossy and thick.

5. 05

   Tasting and Plating. Taste and adjust salt and seasoning. Serve warm in a bowl or on a flat plate.

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