Fusion Egussi Pudding

Fusion Egussi PuddingThis savoury addictive snack is a delicacy in Cameroon and great as a side, snack or starter.

It is made of egusi which is harvested from Egusi gourd with the scientific name of Citrullus lanatus which looks very similar to a watermelon but is bitter and not edible unlike watermelon.

The gourds are grown primarily for their seeds. They’re 50% oil, 78% of which is unsaturated fatty acids, which are the healthier type of fat. It is also rich in vitamin A, B1 and B2, which are both important for growth and the production of red blood cells. It also has a high concentration of vitamin C, too, which helps the body absorb iron and maintain healthy tissue. Because of their high protein content, egussi is also a good plant-based meat substitute.

However it comes with a health warning as 100g of protein contains 538 calories. Therefore it is prudent to use one teaspoon of palm oil only per portion (30g recommended) when cooking. This is because despite being nutritious, excessive use of palm oil will make the meal more calorie dense could cause weight gain particularly if consumed with the standard oversized portions of garri, pounded yam or fufu.

An alternative is Bitter melon — also known as bitter gourd or Momordica charantia, 94g of which contains only 20 Calories: 20, 4 Carbs and 2Fiber:

These nutritious seeds are used for egussi soup a west African staple consumed widely in West African Countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone as a thickening agent in soups, and to add depth to most soups. The name of the popular Ghanian dish made out of it -palaver soup, makes me giggle each time.

Egussi pudding This puts a smile on my husbands face every time and pairs beautifully with with fermented cassava sticks eg Miondo, bobolo and plantains.

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Course Snack

Cuisine Fusion

Calories 284 kcal

Ingredients

150 g Smoked deboned fish
250 g beef boiled (cut in bite size), reserve about 350ml broth
1 Chopped onion
45 g Ground Cray fish
1 Habenero pepper ground or 1 teaspoon motherland pepper paste
2 Stock cubes
Salt & black pepper as needed

Instructions

Put beef salt, pepper and some chopped onions in a medium sauce pan and boil until cooked. Set the stock aside
Add all the above ingredients and fish to the egusi and mix until fully combine and add salt to taste

Oven method

Place egusi mixture into prepared ramekins. Fill with egussi mix until about three quarters full. Place ramekins in large baking pan
Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan until halfway up the sides of the ramekins cups
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 180 degrees for about an hour. Let it rest for about 10 minutes or more before removing aluminum foi

Pot Method

Wrap in aluminium foil or plantain leaves
Add to pot with a small amount of boiling water ( it should not be submerged as cooked by steam)
Cook for at least one hour.
Serve after 15 minutes with myondo or plantains

Notes

Glycaemic index : 57: moderate

Chefs hint
Use pumpkin seeds as a substitute for egusi, but note the paste comes out a pastel green colour, but that does not matter once it is in the stew. Pumpkin seeds do not have as strong a flavor or scent as egusi, but they work very well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1PortionCalories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 21gFiber: 1g

Keyword Afrofusion

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Fusion Egussi Pudding