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Onugbu na Egusi

Also known as Onugbu na Egusi (Bitter Leaf & Melon Soup)

Onugbu na Egusi is a rich Igbo variant that combines the two great Igbo soup thickeners and flavour agents — egusi (ground melon seeds) and bitter leaf (onugbu) — in the same pot. The egusi provides a nutty, substantial body while the bitter leaf delivers its characteristic pleasant bitterness and colour.

Onugbu na Egusi, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 4 big handfuls of fresh bitter leaf, washed and squeezed
  • 2 big cups of ground egusi (melon seeds)
  • Half a medium goat or big handful of assorted beef
  • 2 big handfuls of stockfish, soaked
  • 2 big handfuls of smoked fish, soaked and deboned
  • 3 cooking spoons of red palm oil
  • 3 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 4 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 tablespoon of ogiri okpei
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Preparing Bitter Leaf. Wash and squeeze bitter leaf as in Recipe #050 — 5 to 7 washes until pleasantly bitter. Set aside.

  2. 02

    Cooking the Meat. Season and cook meat and stockfish in water for 30 minutes. Reserve stock.

  3. 03

    Frying the Egusi Base. Heat palm oil in a wide pot. Add ogiri and fry for 1 minute. Mix ground egusi with water to form a paste. Drop spoonfuls of egusi into the hot oil. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until egusi is nutty and well-fried.

  4. 04

    Building the Soup. Add blended Atarodo, ground crayfish and reserved stock. Stir well. Add cooked meat, stockfish and smoked fish. Season with remaining seasoning cubes and salt. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

  5. 05

    Adding the Bitter Leaf. Add the squeezed bitter leaf. Stir very well through the egusi base. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes on medium heat until the bitter leaf is fully incorporated and the soup is thick, rich and complexly flavoured. Taste and adjust all seasonings.

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