Try Cameroonian Egusi pudding cake

Mostly consumed in Cameroon, West Africa, the Egusi pudding cake is a very delicious meal made using melon seeds.

it is quite similar to the Yoruba people’s moin-moin and the Eastern part of Nigeria’s Okpa. It can be eaten alone or alongside garri or rice.

Cooking time

1 hour 30 minutes

Recipe category

Main or side dish

Recipe cuisine

Cameroonian

Cooking method

Steaming

Recipe Yield

6 servings

Ingredients

Dry or smoked fish

Shredded beef or chicken

Egusi (melon seed)

Banana leaf

Pepper

Crayfish

Pepper

Salt

Maggi

Egg

Water

Instructions

1. Pour the egusi seeds into a blender and grind dry without adding water.

2. Pour ground Egusi into a bowl and mix with ground crayfish, pepper, salt and Maggi using a wooden spoon.

3. Add in three-quarters of the water and mix into a smooth paste. Add in the remaining water and mix well. Don’t pour all the water into the mixture at once so the ingredients can be smoothly mixed.

4. Add in your egg and mix well.

5. Pour your cleanly washed dry or smoked fish and shredded chicken or beef then stir to incorporate.

6. Arrange the base and sides of the pot with some banana leaves to create a base for steaming. Pour two cups of water into pot and place on medium heat.

7. Fold two banana leaves in a deep bowl as you would for banana leaf moin-moin. Pour two scoops (about 2 large ice cream scoops) of the mixture into the leaves. Gather together carefully to ensure the mixture is secure then tie with a kitchen wrap or any plastic bag transformed into a tie. If using aluminium foil, you do not need to tie – just gather the ends of the foil together after pouring in your mixture and press to secure.

8. Place every bundle into prepare pot. Repeat for the rest.

9. When all bundles are in the pot, cover with another banana leaf or foil so the steam doesn’t escape. Allow to cook for about 60 minutes. Check to add water every 10 minutes so it doesn’t burn. Be careful not to add a lot of water. You only need 1-2 cups at a time. Turn off heat after an hour or so.

Your egusi pudding cake is ready! Enjoy the Cameroonian delight.