Easier Way To Extract Palm Fruit Concentrate (Banga)

It has always been palm tree because it it a blessed tree ever, what I mean by this is that is a tree that non of it parts is useless they are all useful to humans... So as to mention few.... The leaf use to cover up Hut, and the Fruits use to Prepare palm oil, Banga Soup and Stew, Bitterleaf Soup and Ora/Oha Soup to name a few and get into the main recipe.
One thing to note these steps will surely help you to get the full details on how you can extract the rich palm fruit concentrate from palm fruits and with that you can use it to Prepare Banga Soup and Stew, add to your Bitterleaf Soup and Ora/Oha Soup.



Let get it started...

Things That You Need

¦==> First thing you need is enough Palm Fruits even more than enough.

¦==> Enough of water to cook and to wash it when it done.

Tools Needed

¦==> Mortar and pestle

¦==> Plastic bowls

¦==> Sieve

Procedure

1. Pour the palm fruits into a bigger bowl and wash very well.

2. Put on your cooker or stove, place on a sizeable pot and pour the palm fruits and add enough water to cover up the fruits and start cooking on a high medium heat.

3. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, and check if it is done.
"How do I know if it done or not?.. When the palm fruits is fully done the first sign to note is that the palm fruit will be soft to the bite and depending on how fleshy the palm fruits are and you should be able to easily rub off the flesh from the nuts, one more thing is that you may notice cracks on the flesh of the fruits.

4. After confirming that it is fully done, pour out the hot water and pour the palm fruits into the mortar while they are still hot, pound the palm fruits in the mortar with a pestle till all the flesh are separated from the nuts forming a smooth pulp (See images below).

Note; why you should do the pounding when the fruits are still hot is to make it easier for the flesh to separate from the nuts to get a better smooth pulp.

5. After probably pound, sort the nuts out from the pulp and set these aside.

6. Pour the nuts into a bowl add small quantity of warm water and wash the nuts. Then wash a small quantity of the pulp in the same water, squeeze and set aside. Repeat the same process to the other batch of pulp till the water becomes concentrated.

7. Place the sieve on another bowl to to sieve the concentration.

8. Repeat the same process till all palm fruit pulp has been washed.

9. Cover the extracted palm fruit concentrate with sieve and leave palm fruit concentrate to stand for about 5 minutes.

10. After stand up to 5 minutes, then place your sieve on the pot and slowly decant into the pot that will be used to cook the Banga Soup, Stew or add to your Bitterleaf Soup and Ora/Oha Soup. The sieve placed on the pot help not to pour the tiny pieces of fibre that have settled at the bottom.

That is all for the extraction of palm fruits concentration. The extract is used to cook Banga Soup or Stew, Bitterleaf Soup or Ora/Oha Soup also go well with Egusi Soup

How To Prepare Ora (Oha) Soup.

How To Prepare Ora (Oha) Soup.

It's has been Ora (Oha) Soup, Ora (Oha) soup is dedicated to the native of South Eastern Nigeria. I may say is one of their best and delicious traditional suop. This very soup is just like the Bitterleaf Soup but the difference in between them is that Ora (Oha) leaves is used to cook Ora (Oha) Soup and Bitterleaf is used to cook Bitterleaf Soup. It's so special in the sense that the Ora (Oha) leaves is a seasonal leaf unlike the Bitterleaf which can be found all year round.


BENEFITS:-



Ora (Oha) leaves has a lot of benefit, it contains minerals like calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc and manganese. Its also rich in fiber, amino acids like glutamic acid, lysine and cysteine while they have a low sodium content. They contain vitamins A, C and B. Some professional also confirm that Ora (Oha) leaves contain hydrogen cyanide and oxalate but in low levels which are not harmful to humans.


INGREDIENTS

* Ora (Oha) leaves.

* 5 Corms Cocoyam.

* 3 Cooking spoonful of Red Palm Oil.

* Assorted Beef.

* Shaki (cow tripe).

* Dry Fish.

* Stock Fish.

* Chilli pepper.

* Salt (to your best taste).

* Crayfish (to your best taste).

* Tasty cubes (to your best taste).

* Ogiri Igbo (to your best taste).


Notes:-1. Ora (Oha) leaf is so unique to the extent that it does not have any alternative vegetable.

Notes:- 2. It does not matter you use cocoyam corms, because at times you may not find it in the market so you can use cocoyam flour as the alternative. Another best alternative to both is potato flour.

Notes:- 3. Ogiri Igbo is another traditional ingredient that has a great taste on it own. But in this recipe it's absolutely optional, but if you make use of it, its OK.


Things to do Before you Proceed with the cooking of Ora (Oha) Soup.


1. If using ungrind crayfish, grind it with the pepper and set aside.

2. Peel and Wash the Cocoyam Corms and boil till soft. When it soften, pour into mortar and pound with pestle to a smooth paste.

3. Pick the Ora (Oha) leaves, chop on the chopping board the Ora (Oha) leaves into tiny pieces.

Note:- your chopping most not be too tiny this is to prevent the Ora (Oha) leaves from becoming darker in colour.


DIRECTIONSU:-

1. Set up your cooker or stove, place on it a sizeable pot to boil the shaki (cow tripe), stock fish and dry
fish with small amount of water for about five (5) minutes or until shaking start curling on itself.

2. Now wash the beef and add to your cooking, then continue.

3. After about two (2) minutes, add one (1) tasty cubes and cook for five (5) more minutes or less.

4. When the shaki (cow tripe) and the rest are well cooked, add the grounded pepper and ogiri Igbo, ^{then keep on rolling on the ball,} cook for seven (7) minutes.

5. By now you can now add your cocoyam paste in a wee lumps form with small part of the palm oil.

6. We are now almost their, Cover and cook till all the cocoyam lumps have dissolved.

7. By now you can add the ora (oha) leaves, two (2) taste cube, the remaining palm oil and salt (to your best taste), now cook for more five (5) minutes, stir all together, now the Ora (Oha) Soup is ready... Best Serve with Black or White Amala, Garri (Eba), Semolina, Cassava Fufu or Pounded Yam.

How To Prepare Vegetables Soup.

How To Prepare Vegetables Soup.


Vegetables Soup popularly known as "Efo Riro" is one of the western part of Nigerian known as Yoruba's. Vegetables soup "Efo Riro" is a Yoruba Delicacy. The vegetables soup "Efo Riro" can be cooked with different types of vegetables such as:

* Water leaves; (Gbure in Yoruba, Botanical Name:Talinum Triangulare)

* Ugu "pumpkin" leaves,

* Bitter leaves; (Onugbu in Igbo, Efo Ewuro in Yoruba, shuwaka in Hausa, Etidot in Cross River, Botanical Name: Vernonia Amygdalina),

* Eggplant leaves; (Garden egg leaf, Gboma, Efo Igbo in Yoruba, Botanical Name: Solanium marcrocarpon),

And

* Spinach; (Efo Tete in Yoruba, Botanical Name: Amaranthus Hybridus).
All this kind of vegetables listed above are allowed in cooking Efo Riro.

INGREDIENTS

* You can use any of the vegetables listed above.

* Fried Meat.

* Rosted Fish.

* Stock Fish.

* Palm oil.

* 2 Teacups of Crayfish.

* 2 Medium Onions.

* 3 Stock cubes.

* Salt.

* Habanero peppers.

* 2 tablespoonful of ogiri okpei (Iru, Locust bean).

* 5 bells of fresh Tomatoes.

Before proceeding with the cooking of Vegetables soup "Efo Riro''.

1. Boil the stockfish for 30 minutes or more than, the stockfish cooking duration depends on how hard it is.  When it done, clean it and remove the bones, then separate them into smaller pieces.

2. Select and arrange the leaves of any vegetables of your choice, chop it, then pour into a bowl of hot water for an hour or till it softening.

Notes;

* If using Water leaves; (Gbure in Yoruba, Botanical Name:Talinum Triangulare), you don't have to add hot water, add cold water to it and set aside.

* If using Bitter leaves; (Onugbu in Igbo, Efo Ewuro in Yoruba, shuwaka in Hausa, Etidot in Cross River, Botanical Name: Vernonia Amygdalina), you wash it and cook for about 30 minutes. "don't know how to wash bitter leaves, click here".

* If using Ugu "pumpkin" leaves, chop and soak in warm water for about 20 minutes.

3. Pound the Pepper, Onions, Tomatoes and grind the crayfish.

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1. Set up your cooker or stove, place a pot to fry the stew.

2. Pour the palm oil into the pot to heat and when it's change color from red to light red, pour the pounded Pepper, Onions, Tomatoes and grind the crayfish, and cook for 5 minutes.

3. After 5 minutes, add the following...

Rosted Fish,

Stock Fish,

Stock cubes,

Salt,

Ogiri okpei (Iru, Locust bean).

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

4. On under the 10 minutes, prepare the vegetables you have chosen to be your choice.

5. After 10 minutes, add your vegetables, and stir until all mixed together, cover and cook still it gets a good looking. Take note of not getting burn or overcooked. After about 2 minutes, you're done with the cooking of the Vegetables Soup "Efo Riro". Now enjoy with Amala, Semolina, Pounded Yam, Pounded Cocoa Yam, Eba, Fufu Meal, or Pap.

Please feel free to ask any questions about this recipe

How To Prepare Groundnut (Peanut Soup).

How To Prepare Groundnut (Peanut Soup). 

 

 

Groundnut (Peanut Soup) is one of the best soup you will always go for when there's no Egusi Soup. It's prepare the same way your Egusi Soup is prepared. When you cannot find the egusi seed at your area where you live, don't lose hope, just go for the Groundnut Soup, is one of the best alternative.

Ingredients Needed For The Groundnut Soup.

* About 450g of Raw Peeled Groundnuts (peanuts).

* Cow Meat.

* Dry Fish.

* Shaki (cow tripe).

* Stock fish.
* Palm Oil

* One Handful of chopped Ugu (Pumpkin) leaves or 4 Cubes of Frozen Spinach or One handful of washed Bitterleaf or One handful of chopped Eggplant leaves.

* Two Tablespoonfuls of Grounded Crayfish.

* Two Tasty Cubes.

* Salt.

* Grounded dry Cayenne Pepper.

Notes about the Ingredients.

1. As we all know that apart from the nutrient palm oil add to your cooking, another main thing is the colour and sometimes add some taste to your if it's not over cook. That why I always add more than enough palm oil to my cooking.

2. Using Bitter leaves will only reduce the sweetness of the soup. But you can only use it when there's no any other alternative. As a matter of fact; some people don't care about the bitterness and it's even there one and only vegetable so if you are one of those, then you should use bitterleaves in preparing your soup.

3. You may be thinking why I go for Grounded dry Cayenne Pepper. You can also use fresh habanero peppers in place of the dry cayenne peppers. I use Grounded dry Cayenne Pepper because of my time of cooking.

4. You can use fried Groundnuts if you can't get the raw one, but it best you try and get the raw one.

5. Some have been sending me emails on most of the ingredients I list, mostly on the meat, dry fish, stock fish, and shaki (cow tripe). It's not most to use all of them, but you can use meat or shaki (cow tripe) with dry or stock fish.

Tool Needed For The Preparing Of The Groundnuts Soup.

* Melon Grinder or Grinding Stone, for grinding of the Groundnuts. 

Before You Proceed With The Cooking Of Groundnut Soup.

1. Boil the stockfish and dry fish with salt for like 20 minutes, or soak for at least one hour. When it soft, clean and  remove the bones, then separate them into smaller pieces. And set aside.

2. Set up your cooker or stove and place your frying pan on it to roast the raw groundnuts, stirring constantly till all dries up. Set aside for some time to cool,

3. When it cool, then grind into powder with a dry mill. And set aside.

4. Wash the chopped pumpkin leaves, or any vegetables of your choice. And set aside.

5. Gather all other ingredients and place near your side for the cooking.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Now set up your cooker or stove once again, and start with the cooking of shaki as it's the toughest past of the meat.

Notes: Your water level must be the same level as the contents of your cooking and you can top it if necessary.

2. After like 5 minutes, the shaki should have started to curl, add the dry fish, stockfish and the beef then add the tasty cubes and salt, then cook till all the meat and fish are well done. You may add more water if necessary.

3. After like 5 more minutes, Add the crayfish and pepper, then cover and continue cooking.

4. When it all done, remove the meat, shaki and fish to a plate and set aside. leave the stock in the pot.

5. Now pour the grounded groundnuts and start stirring continuously till they are lumps.

6. When stirring, you may top up the water if necessary. To avoid burning, you have to keep on stirring.

7. When stirring, note when the thin oil from the groundnut appears on the
surface. It may takes up to 15 minutes.

8. Add palm oil and stir very well.

9. Add the beef, shaki and fish, then stir and continue cooking.

10. Some people prefer their egusi or groundnut soup without vegetables, so if you are one of those, then the Groundnuts Soup is READY. But for we that love it with vegetables, then add it and take off the cooker or stove, and simmer for like 3 minutes.

When you wanna serve it, stir and serve the Groundnut Soup and enjoy with Amala, Semolina, Pounded Yam, Pounded Cocoa Yam, Eba, Fufu Meal, or Pap.

How To Prepare Bitterleaf Soup (Ofe Onugbu).

How To Prepare Bitterleaf Soup (Ofe Onugbu). 

Bitterleaf soup is one of the local traditional soups in Nigeria. It is native to the Yorubas and the Igbos and even part of the Northern. The name is quite Oops; it can even mislead someone hearing it for the first time, a well prepared Bitterleaf shouldn't or will not have a much taste of bitterness. The only way to achieve this, is by washing and squeezing the bitter leaves then change the water, till all traces of bitterness has been washed away.

INGREDIENTS:

* Washed and squeezed bitterleaf - Two handful.

* 5 small corms Cocoyam.

* 4 cooking spoons of Palm Oil.

* ½kg of Beef.

* ½kg of Shaki (cow tripe).

* Dry Fish.

* Stock Fish.

* Grounded Crayfish.

* Habanero Pepper.

* Salt. 

* 4 Stock Cubes.

* 3 Teaspoonful Ogiri Igbo (traditional seasoning).

Notes;

1. You can as well use dried, washed and squeezed bitter leaves, all you will need to do first is to soak in warm water for 30 minutes, this make the bitter leaves soft and look fresh again before adding them to the soup.

2. I have find the whole market, and I can't get cocoyam corms, what should I do? You can use cocoyam flour. And what if I can't still find cocoyam flour! is that the end? "No" another best alternative for the two is potato flour.
I don't know how to prepare this!. Visit the cocoyam flour or potato flour, to read more about it and how to prepare them.

3. Most I use the Ogiri Igbo!. "No" it's optional, but it's highly recommend. It helps give the Bitterleaf Soup a good aroma and traditional taste and help clear your eyes.

4. Pound or blend the Habanero Pepper and set aside.

Before you proceed with the preparation of the Bitterleaf Soup.

1. Confirm that the bitter leaves are probably washed, in the sense that there will be no trace of bitterness. So therefore if you still feel the bitterness, wash and squeeze with palm oil for like two times. After that you still feel the bitterness, boil it for completely 30 minutes with salt, after cooking, wash in cold water.

2. Peel the cocoyam and wash and cook for 30 minutes or till soft. Pound with mortar and pestle to a smooth paste. Don't forget to add the water to the pounding, if possible water you use in cooking it or warm water.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Set up your cooker or stove, place a sizable pot to boil the shaki (cow tripe), stock fish and dry fish with about one litre of water, cook for ten minutes, or till when the shaki (cow tripe) started to curling on itself.

2. When the shaki (cow tripe) started to curl, wash and add the beef and cook for about three minutes or less, then add the tasty cubes (Maggi) and salt then cook for five minutes.

3. After five minutes, your shaki (cow tripe), beef, stock fish and dry fish should be done by then. Add pepper, grounded crayfish, wash and squeeze bitter leaves and cook for 15 minutes, before adding the cocoyam paste and the palm oil, salt to taste. Stir all together and the soup is ready to serve with Garri (Eba) , Semolina Fufu, Amala, Cassava Fufu or Pounded Yam.

Notes; If you didn't cook the bitter leaves before losing the bitterness, then you have to continue the cooking after adding the bitter leaves at least cook for five minutes.

How To Prepare Mixed Okra With Vegetables.

How To Prepare Mixed Okra With Vegetables. 

Okra Soup is one of the fastest and quickest soup, in the easiest part of Nigerian . It's known as Miyan Kubewa in the northern part of Nigerian.

INGREDIENTS :

* 15 Pieces Okraof.

* 2 Cooking Spoonful of Palm oil.

* Cow meat.

* Shaki "Cow Tripe".

* Iced Fish "Titus".

* Stockfish.

* Half milk cup of crayfish.

* Ground Pepper.

* Salt.

* Ugu leaves.

* 2 stock cubes.

* 2 Spoonful of Ogiri okpei. 

Before you proceed with the cooking of Okra Soup, prepare the following...

1. Boil the stockfish, leave in the pot
with the hot water to soak for good 15 minutes.

2. Cut the okra into tiny pieces.

Notes "The tinier you cut the okra, the more it will draw. To achieve this, you need to Grater for the Okra".

3. Grind the crayfish. "it's optional".

4. Grind the ogiri okpei. "it's optional".

5. Pick and Wash the Ugu leaves, and chop into tiny pieces.

DIRECTIONS :

1. Set up your cooker or stove, then place a pot to cook the shaki with onion and salt.

2. When the shaki is well done, you can take a bite to confirm. add the beef, stock cubes, and continue cooking till the beef is done.

3. When the beef is done, add the iced fish and the soak stockfish, and cook till done.

4. When all done together, pour into a sieve to drain out the stock, and set aside.

5. Place a new pot for the cooking. Now divide the stock into 4 equally part, and pour one part of it in the new pot.

6. Add the okar, Palm oil, stock cube, salt, vegetable, crayfish, Ogiri okpei, pepper, beef, shaki, Stockfish, and other ingredients. Now stir well with a wooden spoon.

5. Cover and leave to simmer for 5 minutes, and it is ready to be served.

Notes: you may divide the Shaki, Beef, StockFish, and Iced Fish into a "single serve" (as we know that okar is a day soup, so that why you need to divide them.)

Now serve with Eba (Garri) , Cassava Fufu, Semolina Fufu, Amala, Tuwo Shinkafa, or Pounded Yam .

How To Prepare Ogbono Soup.

How To Prepare Ogbono Soup. 

 

Ogbono soup is one of the Easiest Recipe, and it's use to eat any kind of fufu. 

INGREDIENTS :

* 1 Cup milk of Ogbono seed or 10 tablespoonful of grounded Ogbono.

* Cow or Goat Meat.

* Cow or Goat Ribs.

* Cow or Goat Shaki.

* Ponmo.

* Dry cat fish.

* 3 Cooking spoons of Palm Oil.

* Half milk cup of Crayfish.

* Stockfish.

* 1 tablespoonful of ogiri okpei (Iru, Locust bean).

* Habanero pepper (ose oyibo, atarodo).

* Half ball of Onion.

* 2 Seasoning Cubes.

* Ugu leaves or Bitter leaves.

* Salt. 

NOTES ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS ;

1. Mostly in all recipes, we go crazy when it comes to the quantities of ingredients. Mean why the quantities of the ingredients can be adjusted to your own taste.

2. If you are using the ogbono seeds, it's recommended for you to use a spice coffer grinder to grind the ogbono seeds.

3. You can add palm oil to the Ogbono seed while grinding or after grinding it, this is to allow the palm oil to mixed well with the Ogbono. Not that you won't add palm oil to your cooking again, you will still add it, but that you have added to your cooking will not mix up with the Ogbono.

4. Vegetables is to add according to the quantity of your choice. Most people don't even add any vegetables to their Ogbono Soup and it's still look lovely that way.

5. You can use grind pepper, cayenne pepper ( fresh or dry) or Scotch bonnet peppers if you cannot find habanero peppers.

BEFORE YOU PROCEED WITH YOUR COOKING.

* Set up your grinding machine to grind the Ogbono seed. That is if you are using seed Ogbono. But if you have grounded Ogbono, set it aside.

Note "your grinding process must be without water. That is, you don't add water to your grinding".

* Soak the dry Catfish and Stockfish a blow of warm water. To soften, When soft. Clean it in a cool water thoroughly and remove all the bones.

Note "Stockfish has a lot of bones, so you can kick it out of your Ingredients. Or try and make sure you debone it properly.

* Pick and Chop the Ugu leaves into thin slices and set aside. But if using Bitter leaves, pick and wash it thoroughly. Click here to find more details on "How To Wash Bitter leaves".

* Grind the crayfish. "it's optional".

* Grind the ogiri okpei "it's optional".

* Grind or Pound the pepper with onion. And set aside.

* Chop your Ponmo to thin slices and set aside.

DIRECTIONS FOR COOKING OGBONO SOUP.

1. Set up your cooker or stove, then place a pot to cook the meat with the seasoning cubes and onion.

Note "Start your cooking with the toughest part of meat".

2. When the meat is done, turn into a sieve to drain out the stock, and set aside.

3. Now set a new pot for the cooking of your ogbono.

4. Divide the meat stock into 2 or 3 equal part. Pour one part into the pot and add the grounded ogbono, by spreading over the meat stock. Then stir very well with a wooden spoon to ensure that it mix with the meat stock and become thicker.

5. Cover the pot, and continue cooking on low heat.

Note "Don't keep it so long, stir it very often as you cook so it doesn't burn".

6. After like 10 minutes or less, add the following Ingredients to your cooking...

 crayfish,

ogiri okpei,

habanero pepper,

deboned dry catfish and stockfiah,

salt,

palm oil.

And continue cooking. Remember to stir often.

7. After completely 3 minutes, add the remaining ingredients such as:

boiled meats,

vegetables,

Stock cube.

You may add more salt and the other meat stock if necessary. Cover and continue cooking till the delicious aroma and flavour comes out.

8. After like 2 minutes, it should be done by now. Take the soup off the and
pour into another pot "not necessary".

Now you can serve Ogbono Soup with any Fufu meal.

How To Prepare Afang Soup.

How To Prepare Afang Soup. 

 

Afang Soup, is just like the Edikang Ikong Soup, but it's more easier to cook then Edikang Ikong Soup. It was found by the Efiks from Akwa Ibom and Cross River. Afang Soup is one of the most popular local soup in the Eastern part of Nigerian. 

INGREDIENTS.

* About 4 handfuls of chopped Okazi/Afang leaves.

* About 1½ handfuls of chopped Water leaves.

* Four to five cooking spoon of palm oil.

* Beef.

* Kanda (ponmo).

* Dry fish.

* Stock Fish.

* Periwinkle.

* 2 Tablespoonfuls of grounded Crayfish.

* Habanero Pepper.

* 2 Onions

* Salt.
* 2 Stock Cubes. 

Notes: Mostly in all recipes, we go crazy when it comes to the quantities of ingredients. Mean why the quantities of the ingredients can be adjusted to your own taste.

Before You Proceed With The Cooking Of The Afang Soup. 

1. Wash and drain the chopped water leaves.

2. Grind or pound the Okazi leaves.

3. Grind or pound the pepper with one part of the onions and chop the other.

4. Soak up the Stock Fish in warm water. 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Set up your cooker or stove and place a pot to boil the beef and Kanda(ponmo) with the chopped onions and stock cubes with a very small quantity of water. When it's almost done, add the soak stock fish and the dry fish then cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or more than.

2. When it fully done, remove the stock fish and the dry fish and set aside to remove the bones. Then remove the beef and Kanda(ponmo) and set aside.

3. Now set up a new Pot and pour the stock water and add palm oil, crayfish and pepper. Cover and leave to cook for about 5 minutes.

Notes: your cook most not be too watery.

4. After 5 minutes, add the afang (okazi), water leaves and periwinkle, salt, add more stock cubes if necessary and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, Afang soup is READY to SERVE with Garri (Eba), Semolina, White or Black Amala, Cassava Fufu or Pounded Yam or Cocoa Yam.

How To Prepare Melon (Egusi) Soup.

How To Prepare Melon (Egusi) Soup.

 

 

The Melon Soup is prepared with melon seeds, it's known as Miyan Gushi in the Northern part of Nigerian, Ofe Egusi in the Eastern part of Nigeria and Óbé Egusi in the Western part of Nigeria. Melon soup is the most popular soups in all Nigerians and non-
Nigerians living in the country that love most Nigerian local recipes.
This post is talking about The Cooking Method of Melon Soup (Egusi Soup). There are many different methods of cooking Melon Soup (Egusi Soup), they are :

* Fried Melon Soup (Egusi Soup); this is a situations where by the Melon (Egusi) is fried in palm oil before adding other ingredients to it.

* Akpuruakpu Egusi; this is a situations where by the Melon (Egusi) seed are dry under the high sunny temperature before grounding, then after grounding it, you add small palm oil to the ground egusi and molded into balls and cooked in the soup such that you will be eating the egusi balls like meat while enjoying your meal. This type of Melon Soup (Egusi Soup), is mostly used in parties, events and restaurants.

INGREDIENTS ;

* 4 Milk cups of Melon (Egusi) seeds.

* 2 Milk cups of Palm Oil.

* Meat.

* Shaki (cow tripe).

* Stock Fish.

* Dry Fish.

* 2 Teacups of grounded Crayfish.

* Dry grounded Pepper.

* Salt.

* Vegetable; Ugu (pumpkin) leaves, Eggplant leaves; (Garden egg leaf, Gboma, Efo Igbo in Yoruba, Botanical Name: Solanium marcrocarpon), Spinach; (Efo Tete in Yoruba, Botanical Name: Amaranthus Hybridus), or Bitter leaves; (Onugbu in Igbo, Efo Ewuro in Yoruba, shuwaka in Hausa, Etidot in Cross River, Botanical Name: Vernonia Amygdalina).

* 4 Stock Cubes.

 * 2 tablespoons of Ogiri Okpei (traditional locust bean seasoning).

Equipment needed;

* Melon grinder, for grinding the melon (egusi) seeds.

* Chopping board, for chopping the vegetable.

* Knife, for cutting and chopping.

* Pots, for cooking.

* Bowl, for washing ingredients that are need to be wash.

* Wooden spoon, for stirring.

* Tablespoons, for measuring.

Get the following prepared, before the processor of the cooking Melon (Egusi) Soup.

1. Soak the dry fish for about 20 minutes or more than. Boil the stockfish for like 20 minutes and 

pour into a bowl, then leave it there and set aside.

2. Chop the vegetable of your choice and set aside, if the vegetable you have chosen need to be boil or soak in hot water, do so and set aside.

3. After the stockfish is soften, remove the borns and break them into sizeable chunks.

4. Grind the egusi and crayfish with a dry mill and set aside.

5. Boil the meat, shaki, with one stock cubes, c dry cry and onion till they are well done.

DIRECTIONS :

1. Now set up a new pot, place it on the cooker or stove.

2. Remove the meat and shaki, from the stock and set aside.

3. Pour the stock water into the pot, add the grounded egusi to the stock.

Notes : If the stock water is not enough, add some ordinary water to it, to get the consistency of evaporated bit thicker.

4. Cover and cook till the melon (egusi) cakes. Now stir, add more water if necessary. watch it time to time so as to avoid burning.

5. Now you have a cake melon (egusi), add the following to it;

* Palm Oil,

* Vegetable of your choice,

* Pepper,

* Salt,

* Crayfish.

Then cover and continue cooking, cook for about 10 minutes.

6. After 10 minutes, your melon (egusi) and palm oil, should have turned light yellow.

7. Now add the remaining ingredients such as; meat, fish, Ogiri Okpei (traditional locust bean seasoning) and stock cubes. Then stir and cook for 5 minutes.

8. After 5 minutes, it should be done by then, you may turn into another pot to avoid continuation burning. Leave to cool for about 4 minutes or less, before serving it.

 When it ready to serve, served with Garri (Eba), Semolina, Amala, Cassava Fufu, Pounded Cocoa Yam, Pounded Yam or enjoy with White Rice.