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Miyan taushe (pumpkin and groundnut soup)
Miyan taushe: northern Nigeria's sweet pumpkin soup with sorrel leaves and ground groundnut
Golden pumpkin, sour sorrel leaves and freshly ground roasted groundnuts meet in this thick, gently sweet soup from Kano and the Hausa north. It is cooked for family meals and special visits alike, and served with tuwon shinkafa or with masa, the little fermented rice cakes. Meat or dried fish usually simmers in it; this version is meat-free, so it leans on dawadawa and a good vegetable stock for savouriness. The groundnut catches on the pot easily, and scorching it is the most common mistake: once it goes in, keep the heat low and stir from the bottom. Chef's tip: leave some pumpkin cubes whole while mashing the rest, so the soup is thick but still has soft pieces to bite.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the base
- 1 onionchopped
- 3 tomatoeschopped
- 1 red bell pepperdeseeded, chopped
- 4 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1 tbsp dawadawa (fermented locust beans)sub: 1 tsp white miso or fermented black beans, mashed
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable stock
For the soup
- 1 ⅓ lb pumpkinor butternut squash; peeled, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 5 ½ oz roasted unsalted groundnutsskins rubbed off
- 7 oz sorrel leaves (yakuwa) or spinachwashed, roughly chopped; with spinach add 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp saltto taste
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blend 1 onion, 3 tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper and 1 scotch bonnet chilli with 100 ml water until smooth. Separately grind 5 ½ oz roasted unsalted groundnuts in a spice grinder or blender to a fine, slightly damp powder; stop before it turns to butter.
4 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp groundnut oil in a wide pot over a medium heat. Fry the blended base for 10 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil rises to the top.
10 minStep 3: Add 3 ¼ cups vegetable stock, 1 tbsp dawadawa (fermented locust beans) and 1 ⅓ lb pumpkin. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender when pierced with a knife.
15 minStep 4: Mash about half of the pumpkin against the side of the pot with a spoon, so the soup thickens and turns orange.
1 minStep 5: Lower the heat. Whisk the ground groundnut with 150 ml of the hot soup in a bowl until smooth, then stir it into the pot. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring from the bottom every minute, until the soup is creamy and a thin film of oil appears.
8 minStep 6: Stir in 7 oz sorrel leaves (yakuwa) or spinach and 1 tsp salt and cook for 3 minutes, until the leaves wilt and darken. Taste, adjust the salt and serve hot.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does miyan taushe (pumpkin and groundnut soup) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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