This classic recipe from Cameroon blends egusi with smoked meat, dried crayfish, and hot pepper before steaming the mixture the same manner as the bean cakes of Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Where egusi represents the high protein seeds of several native African members of the cucurbits. You can buy egusi seeds whole, pre-shelled or pre-ground.
Prep time: 30 minutes/Cook time: 60 minutes/Serves: 6
Ingredients:
300g (3 cups) of Egusi either shelled or pre-ground
80g (1/2 cup) ground crayfish (smoked, salted and dried freshwater prawns [shrimp])
100g (1 cup) smoked meat of your choice or smoked and dried fish
500ml (2 cups) water
1/2 large crayfish seasoning cube (eg Maggi/Jumbo)
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg
1 hot pepper (habanero or scotch bonnet) chilli, pounded to a paste
Method:
Wash the smoked fish, if using, remove the bones then break into pieces. If you have hulled egusi seeds put them in a blender or spice grinder and render to a powder (do not add water).
Pour the equsi into a bowl then mix with the ground crayfish, chilli and season with the salt and 1/2 Maggi cube, crumbled. Add in 3/4 of the water and mix to a smooth paste. Add the remaining water and mix thoroughly to combine. Add the egg and mix well to combine.
If using smoked meat, strip off the bone and chop finely. Add this to the egusi mixture along with the smoked fish pieces.
Place 500ml (2 cups) water in your cooking pot and bring to a simmer. In the meantime, take a banana leaf, pass through a gas flame to soften then take a second leaf, soften and arrange at 90-degrees to the first to make a cross. Pour two generous ice cream scoops of the egusi mixture in the centre of the leaves. Gather the open ends of the leaves together carefully to ensure mixture is secure then tie with a piece of clingfilm (kitchen wrap) or plastic bag transformed into a tie. If you do not have banana leaves you can use aluminium foil, but then you do not need to tie; you just gather the ends of the foil together after pouring in your mixture and press to secure.
Continue making bundles in this manner until all the egusi mixture has been tied in a parcel. When you are done wrapping, cover all your bundles with another banana leaf or foil so the steam doesn’t escape. Place in your pot, cover with a lid and let it steam for about 60 minutes. Check to add water every 10 minutes so it doesn’t dry out and burn. Be careful not to add a too much of water. You only need 250-500ml (1-2 cups) at a time.
After about an hour’s steaming your pudding should be ready. Remove from the pot, unwrap, and enjoy!
This can be eaten by itself or enjoyed with a starchy accompaniment of your choice. It’s great with fried or boiled ripe plantains, boiled yams and boiled cassava or taro.
