Prevention measures will make the process of preparing the egusi soup less tiresome. Make sure, you have all your ingredients prepared before you commence preparation. 

• Soak the Stockfish and Dried Fish: If you’re to use stockfish or dried fish, then rinse them in hot water for a period of about 20-30 minutes. If you soaked the fish, this is the perfect time to wash the fish with water to try and get rid of any dirt or sand still on the fish. Set them aside. 
• Chop the Vegetables: If using fresh spinach or bitter leave they should be washed and chopped into smaller pieces. It can be fresh or frozen spinach In case you are using frozen spinach it should be thawed, and the excess water drained. 
• Blend the Pepper and Onions: Puree the habanero or scotch bonnet pepper and onions until it attains a paste like consistency. Because of this, you can be versatile with the amount of pepper you put in the dish based on your tolerability level of spiciness. Some people cut the onions large but blending makes it easy to have a well-blended soup. 
• Prepare the Egusi Paste: In a small bowl, prepare egusi paste by mixing the grounded egusi seeds with a little water, to get a thick consistency. You may also optionally blend in some onions or ground crayfish as and when preparing the egusi paste. 

 Step 2: Boil the Meat and Stockfish

• Meat, 
• Stock fish, 
• Pepper, 
• Salt 
• Chopped onions. 

Put your beef or goat meat in a large pot, pour water to it and put in salt, one bouillon cube, pinch of thyme, curry powder and ground pepper. It takes to boiling point with medium heat and let the meat cook till it softens. This process should take about 30-40 minutes though this time may vary depending on such circumstances as internet speed. 

Usually, when cooking in a pot, if you are using stock fish or dried fish, then put it inside the pot after half cooking time. This will enable them to reduce the intensity of the broth’s taste by effectively swamping the flavours. 

When the meats and the fishes are tender, take them out of the pot then leave them. Save the broth as this will be applied in the construction of the soup later on. 

Step 3: Fry the Egusi Paste

Put the palm oil in a big pot and heat it on medium heat. Egusi soup’s fat is usually palm oil with a bright orange colour and a unique nutty taste. After the oil has heated to shimmer (but not overflowing), add the diced onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until clear or the onions have softened. 

Subsequently, incorporate the egusi paste into the pot which is also known as “scoop the egusi paste”. Pour the mixture to the oil and heat it up to brown color stirring it now and then so that it cannot burn. When it is frying the egusi should release a good aroma and it should clump together in soft small lumps which is what you desire. Fry for roughly 8-10 minutes so that the egusi turns out to be well fried and a nice entered chestnut color. 

Step 4: Add the Blended Pepper and Onion Mixture

Add the blended pepper and onion mixture main ingredient into the hot pan and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until done. 

When the egusi paste is well fried, pour the blended pepper and onion mixture in the pot. Mix all the ingredients and leave it to fry for 5 minutes more. The pepper and onion mixture will come in handy to counter the greasy feel that egusi has, they will give the dish a fresh slightly spicy taste. 

 Step 5: Add the Meat, Fish, and Broth

After that, the moment to put the cooked meat, stockfish and dried fish back into the same pot. Add this broth that you had prepared earlier and let it simmer for sometime. The amount of broth that will required is based on the thickness of the egusi soup which should be around 3-4 cups of broth. 

Mix everything and let the soup cook slowly in low flame for about 10-15 minutes. The spices will infuse and the egusi will add thickness to the broth making it into delicious soup.

Step 6: Add the Vegetables and Crayfish

If the soup has thickened to the desired consistency, then add the chopped spinach, bitter leaf or any other green you desire. The vegetables will take a shorter time to be fully cooked, thus you ought to allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Next, add the ground crayfish for another level of flavour boosted in the pot of pepper soup. If you’re using prawns then you add it at this stage as well together with the prawns. Mix everything well and allow soup to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. 

Step 7: Final Seasoning and Adjustments

Take a spoon of the soup and (Taste) to check the level of spices to be added. You can also increase quantity of salt, bouillon cubes and pepper as per your taste. In the event that the soup is too thick you can always add more water or broth to your soup to thin it down. If it is too thin then it may be placed in the oven uncovered for some more time to thicken the sauce. 

Step 8: Serve Your Egusi Soup

 That’s all, your egusi soup is now ready to be served! They usually accompany this dish with pounded yam, fufu, eba also known as garri or even rice. Take a large spoon and take a part of the egusi soup and spill it in a separate bowl and serve with your preferred accompaniment. 

Conclusion 

The frying method for preparing the egusi soup should be enjoyed as one of the moist silky delicious rich tasty parts of West African cooking. Following the above-mentioned steps, you will be able to fry the egusi just fine and achieve nutty, rich taste of it. Regardless of whether you are making it for yourself or for your family and friends, egusi soup is satisfying as well as warming meal which is definitely going to leave a really good mark. 

However, with a little time and persistence, you shall get acquainted with this technique and be enjoying the delightful aroma of home made egusi soup in your kitchen. With this frying method of preparing egusi soup now well understood, it’s time to apply the knowledge into preparations.