Contest Announcement | Cooking Challenge - Cook Your Traditional Dish | Efo Elegusi and Garri Meal by afunkycares
INTRODUCTION
Hello beautiful women , it's a great delight to parttake in this contest. Many thanks to the organisers @event-horizon @steemwomensclub and the sponsor @cryptocraze.
EFO ELEGUSI
For this special contest, I prepared a vegetable soup called Efo Elegusi. This vegetable soup is native to the Yorubas, Western Part of Nigeria. It is one of the most popular soups among the Nigerian and non-Nigerians. It is called Egusi in the Southern part (Igbos) and known as Miyan Gushi in Hausa. It is a delicacy that can be enjoyed by anyone.
Two varieties of vegetables are usually used for Efo elegusi: Ugwu (the fluted pumpkin leaves) and Ewuro ( Bitter Leaf ). For this entry, I will be using "ugwu".
RECIPE
- Egusi (Melon)- 1 milk tin cup(milled)
- Vegetable- Ugwu leaves
- Palm oil- 2 big cooking spoons
- Stock fish
- Smoked fish
- Pomo (Cowskin)
- Scotch bonnet pepper -14 small sized
- Tomatoes- 8 hard medium sized
- Onions -3 medium sized
- Seasoning cubes- 3
- Local flavouring - Iru (Locust beans)
- Salt to taste
PICTURES SHOWING INGREDIENTS
Egusi mixed with water. Egusi , Cucumeropsi mannii contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids( healthy oils) which are healthy for the heart. It has rich amount of proteins and vitamins needed for good health
pumpkin leaves (Telfairia occidentalis) A vegetable that is very rich in vitamins, iron and other minerals
Stock fish, soaked in hot water
smoked fish
cowskin
scotchbonnet pepper and tomatoes
onions for blending
stock cubes and salt to taste
locust beans, a local flavouring ingredient rich in proteins, lipid, carbohydrates and a good source of fat and calcium)
palm oil
You can add as many animal proteins as desired, such as assorted meat, dryfish, beef,crayfish etc. This enriches the soup and adds more sweetness to the taste.
PREPARATION
Boil the stockfish for 15 minutes and let it saok in the hot water for 45 minutes. Rinse off and season with salt.
Fillet smoked fish,divide into big pieces,rinse well and season with salt.
Clean the cowskin very well,rinse well,cut into small pieces and season with salt. Then boil for 10 mins.
Rinse the pumpkin leaves thoroughy and keep in a sieve to drain off excess water. I usually rinsed three times.
Blend the pepper, tomatoes and 2 onions. It shouldn't be a smooth consistency .
Dice the third onion.
Rinse the locust beans and set aside.
Mix the milled melon with little water into a thick paste and set aside.
COOKING THE EFO ELEGUSI SOUP
- Place a clean pot on medium heat,once it is hot,add some palm oil. You just need the oil to be hot.
- Then add the locust beans and stir. Saute it and add the onions. Let both fry for few seconds. This releases nice flavour into the soup.
- Add the blended pepper and Stir. ( You add the beef broth here if you are using beef)
- Let it cook for few minutes ,add stock cubes and stir.
- Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Add the stock fish and Cowskin .( Add the beef hereif you are using beef/assorted meat) Stir.
Then add the smoked fish and stir gently,so it doesn't split too much.
Then allow the sauce to cook until it tastes cooked. Then scoop the melon paste this way👇. Cover and let it cook for few minutes.
As it Cooks ,it thickens, so add about ½ cup of water or more to lessen the thickness. And allow to cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin leaves and mix in with a spatula.
- Cover and allow to steam for 3 minutes.
Efo Elegusi is Readyyyyy!!!
MAKING THE GARRI MEAL
Making a Garri Meal is very easy. You can use white or yellow Garri. I use the yellow one here.
- Simply boil some water in a kettle.
- Once it boils really hot, pour some in a bowl.
- Add the Garri in a circular way till all is absorbed by the water.
- Turn with your spatula. Add some hot water if need. A thick (not too soft and not hard) Garri meal is ideal. Scoop into plate directly or wrap up in a nylon or clingfilm.
Efo Elegusi and Garri meal is Ready.
CONCLUSION
Efo Elegusi can also be enjoyed with fufu meal, wheat meal, semo meal and pounded yam. Some also take it white rice.It is a highly nutritious dish that supplies the body with lots of proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins such as vit A, vit B1,B2 and mineral salt such as potassium, sodium needed for healthy growth.
Hope you will give this delicacy a try.