Amala, served with Egusi soup

Egusi soup is made from melon seeds and it is one of the most popular soups in Nigeria. It is very proteinous and can be eaten with starchy foods including amala. The ingredients for preparing Egusi soup include ground egusi (melon seeds), dry fish, ground crayfish, groundnut oil, palm oil, chopped spinach, ground pepper sauce, stick cubes, salt to taste, fermented locust beans ‘Iru’, dried shrimps,‘Ede’, precooked meat and fish. Mix the ground egusi with water into a thick paste. Place a cooking pot on medium heat and add groundnut oil. Use a teaspoon to add the egusi mixture in bits into the oil. Fry for three minutes. Add water into the fried egusi, cover and boil. Break up the egusi lumps into smaller bite size pieces. Pour palm oil into a separate pot and heat up. Add chopped onions, pepper sauce, and other ingredients excluding the chopped spinach. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add spinach and stir carefully. Leave to simmer for three minutes.