Fausta's Cuisine: Various Ripeness Of Plantains

Plantains


Plantains

Black Eye Beans

Egusi

Agusi or Egusi as others call it, grows like a water melon and its leaves are like that of the water melon as well.The Agusi/Egusi seeds are like pumpkin seeds. At maturity it is harvested and cut open and the seeds are washed and dried then the shells are peeled to get the white seeds as in the above picture. It is grown and eaten in most West African countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and so on, although the ways of preparation and what it is eaten with may vary from one west African country to the next but the dishes from these seeds come out delicious and full of protein. The agusi/egusi seeds are dried then either pounded or ground to get a powdery texture which is then used in making agusi/egusi stew or palaver sauce. One can make Agusi/Egusi stew without the vegetable like aleifu or kontomire (yucca leaves)or spinach. When made with the vegetable like aleifu, kontomire it is known as palaver sauce which is full of protein. The base for the palaver sauce is a tomato stew which is made from some oils, either palm oil, or any cooking oil, onions, fresh, canned, dried, smoked or fish. Other meats like chicken, mutton, beef,goat meat may be used. Other spices of ones' choice may be used such as garlic, pepper, salts, cumin.

After making the tomato stew,the ground/pounded agusi/egusi is either added dry or mixed with some water before pouring into the tomato stew. Into this the cut or slightly steamed or ground vegetables are then added and any fish or meats of ones' choice. The end product palaver sauce can be eaten with boiled yams, plantains, steamed rice, gari balls and so on.

Some ingredients for palaver sauce.