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Miyan Agushi

Also known as Miyan Agushi (Melon Soup — Northern Style)

Miyan Agushi is the Hausa interpretation of the melon seed soup — the Northern cousin of the Southern Nigerian Egusi Soup. While it uses the same ground melon seeds (agushi in Hausa), the preparation is distinctly Northern in character — groundnut oil replaces palm oil, dawadawa provides the fermented depth instead of ogiri, and the spice palette of dry ginger, Cameroon pepper and Northern chilli gives the soup a completely different flavour profile.

Miyan Agushi, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 2 big cups of ground agushi (melon seeds / egusi)
  • Half a medium chicken or big handful of beef
  • 1 big handful of stockfish, soaked
  • 1 big handful of smoked fish, soaked and deboned
  • 2 cooking spoons of groundnut oil
  • 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 3 to 4 hot chilli peppers, blended
  • 1 tablespoon of dawadawa
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon of ground Cameroon pepper
  • 3 big handfuls of fresh spinach or moringa leaves
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 glasses of meat stock

Method

  1. 01

    Cooking the Meat. Season and cook meat and stockfish in water for 25 to 30 minutes. Reserve stock.

  2. 02

    Frying the Northern Base. Heat groundnut oil in a wide pot. Add onion and fry 2 minutes. Add dawadawa and fry 1 minute. Add blended chilli pepper, ground ginger and Cameroon pepper. Fry for 7 to 8 minutes.

  3. 03

    Frying the Agushi. Mix ground agushi with a little water to a paste. Drop spoonfuls into the fried base without stirring. Allow to fry for 5 minutes, then stir together. Fry for another 5 minutes until the agushi smells nutty and is well fried.

  4. 04

    Building the Soup. Add the meat stock, cooked meat, stockfish and smoked fish. Add ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cubes and salt. Stir well. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring regularly.

  5. 05

    Adding the Vegetables. Add spinach or moringa leaves. Stir through and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until wilted. Taste and adjust all seasonings. Serve hot.

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