Nigerian Pawpaw Soup
Pawpaw soup comes from the Tiv people of Nigeria, and it is built on dried pawpaw flakes that soften into the broth and give it body. Egusi paste thickens the pot, while palm oil, chile, dryfish and fermented locust beans add a deep, savory, smoky base under the beef. It is meant to be eaten with a swallow such as eba or fufu, torn and dipped.
Instructions
Soak the pawpaw flakes in cold water and set them aside so they swell and soften. Pick all the bones out of the dryfish and soak the flesh in hot water.
Stir the ground egusi with a little water in a bowl until it forms a thick paste.
Put the beef in a pot with the diced onion, salt and a seasoning cube. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add the palm oil, ground chile peppers and fermented locust beans, then pour in enough water to cover. Taste and adjust with more salt and seasoning cubes.
Set the pot over medium heat and let it simmer for a while so the flavors come together.
Stir in the egusi paste and simmer for a few minutes. Add the soaked dryfish and simmer for a few minutes more.
Stir in the pawpaw flakes, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Serve hot with semovita, eba or fufu.
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