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9 African Pumpkin Recipes To Try This Holiday Season

Published

5 months ago

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As we get into the holiday season, there is one staple item that makes it on many dinner tables. That item is the one and only pumpkin pie. But why be so predictable? How about you shift things a little and add one new dish that uses the oh so yummy pumpkin? Pumpkin is highly versatile. With our list of African pumpkin recipes, you can keep the menu fresh and leave everyone guessing. 

Here are 9 Exciting Pumpkin Recipes To Try

#1 – Egusi Soup 

RatingDifficultyIntermediate

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Yields8 Servings
Prep Time20 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time1 hr 5 mins

Egusi Soup is easily the most popular Nigerian soup. It can be paired with many different starches such as garri, pounded yam, fufu and the list goes on. The soup uses pumpkin seeds with a vegetable. This recipe uses Ugu (pumpkin leaves), however, other vegetables can be used with the recipe. Some vegetables that are typically used are bitter leaf and spinach.

 1 cup Palm Oil
 3 cups Ground Egusi (Pumkin) seeds
 2 tbsp Ground crayfish
 4 cups Ugu (Pumpkin leaves)
 1 tsp Salt (for the meat)
 ½ tbsp Ground cayenne/dry pepper - optional
 ⅛ tsp Opeyi (fermented locust beans) - optional
 2 tbsp Knorr powder preferably meat flavor (or 2 cubes)
 1 cup Meat Stock (stock from cooking the meat)
 5 Yellow Peppers (blended)
 5 Red Bell Peppers (blended
 1 Large Onion
 6 Pieces Kpomo or Ponmo (Dried Cow Skin)
 6 Pieces Shaki (Tripe)
 6 Pieces Beef
 2 cups Shredded and Dry Fish

Nigerian Egusi Soup Recipe by Zeelicious

Category, , CuisineCooking Method

Ingredients

 1 cup Palm Oil
 3 cups Ground Egusi (Pumkin) seeds
 2 tbsp Ground crayfish
 4 cups Ugu (Pumpkin leaves)
 1 tsp Salt (for the meat)
 ½ tbsp Ground cayenne/dry pepper - optional
 ⅛ tsp Opeyi (fermented locust beans) - optional
 2 tbsp Knorr powder preferably meat flavor (or 2 cubes)
 1 cup Meat Stock (stock from cooking the meat)
 5 Yellow Peppers (blended)
 5 Red Bell Peppers (blended
 1 Large Onion
 6 Pieces Kpomo or Ponmo (Dried Cow Skin)
 6 Pieces Shaki (Tripe)
 6 Pieces Beef
 2 cups Shredded and Dry Fish

Directions

Nigerian Egusi Soup Recipe by Zeelicious
IngredientsDirections

#2 – Pampoenkoekies (South African Pumpkin Fritters)

Rating

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Yields16 Servings
Prep Time10 minsCook Time8 minsTotal Time18 mins

Pampoenkoekies – These South African pumpkin fritters are light, fluffy and literally melts in your mouth. Drizzled with caramel sauce and you’re in pumpkin heaven. First of all it’s a really great combination of flavors, which is light as air (it literally melts in your mouth). it is also quick and easy – ready in under 20 minutes. You can start eating these bite-sized treats.

So what is Pampoenkoekies? Pampoenkoekies is a traditional Afrikaans fritter that is served either as breakfast, snack dessert or a side dish depending on how it is made. They are a little bit savory, a little bit sweet, and a delight.

 1 cup mashed pumpkin
 1 cup flour
 2 tsp baking powder
 2 tbsp sugar
 ¼ cup milk
 ½ tsp cinnamon
 ½ tsp nutmeg
 ¼ tsp all spice
 ¼ tsp salt
 1 large egg
 Oil for deep-frying
 Caramel glaze
 1 cup sugar
 3 tbsp water
 ¾ heavy cream
 1 tbsp unsalted butter
 1 tbsp light corn syrup

1

Pampoenkoekies (South African Pumpkin Fritters) By Immaculatebites

CategoryCuisineCooking MethodTags, , , , , ,

Ingredients

 1 cup mashed pumpkin
 1 cup flour
 2 tsp baking powder
 2 tbsp sugar
 ¼ cup milk
 ½ tsp cinnamon
 ½ tsp nutmeg
 ¼ tsp all spice
 ¼ tsp salt
 1 large egg
 Oil for deep-frying
 Caramel glaze
 1 cup sugar
 3 tbsp water
 ¾ heavy cream
 1 tbsp unsalted butter
 1 tbsp light corn syrup

Directions

1
Pampoenkoekies (South African Pumpkin Fritters) By Immaculatebites
IngredientsDirections

#3 – Efe Oha Soup 

Category, Cuisine,

Oha leaves

Yields4 Servings
Prep Time15 minsCook Time50 minsTotal Time1 hr 5 mins

Oha leaves, also known botanically as Pterocarpus mildraedii are edible leaves of an evergreen tree found in West Africa. It is prepared as a soup with other condiments and served with fufu, eba or pounded yam. Oha soup is a very delicious soup especially when garnished with assorted meat, dry fish and stockfish. Try cooking it on your own by following the simple steps outlined below and you won't regret it. An appetizing vegetable soup from the south eastern part of Nigeria made using Oha and Uziza leaves.

 Powdered Egusi
  Oha leaves
  Uziza leaves
 Assorted Meat
  Beef Stock
 Crayfish
 Smoked fish
  Iru
 Palm Oil
  Onions
 optional Ata Lilo - tatashe and ata rodo

1

Ingredients

 Powdered Egusi
  Oha leaves
  Uziza leaves
 Assorted Meat
  Beef Stock
 Crayfish
 Smoked fish
  Iru
 Palm Oil
  Onions
 optional Ata Lilo - tatashe and ata rodo

Directions

1
Ofe Oha Na Egusi Soup by Dooney’s Kitchen
IngredientsDirections

#4 – Miyan Taushe

Rating

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Yields1 Serving

Miyan Taushe is s a savory pumpkin stew native to Northern Nigeria. It is commonly eaten with fufu/swallow, rice, and even naan bread. Naan bears some similarity to “gurasa”: a local Hausa flat bread which is also a traditional side eaten with Miyan Taushe.  This dish is often eaten during Ramadan so it definitely is an option for festive occassions.

 1.50 lbs goat meat chunks
 1.50 lbs pumpkin peeled and cut into chunks
 ½ cup palm oil
 ½ cup roasted peanuts
 7 roma tomatoes
 2 large onions
 4 scotch bonnet peppers
 1 bell pepper
 10 oz chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
 5 sorrel (substitute with spinach more spinach when unavailable)
 ¼ cup ground dry cray fish
 2 tbsp shrimp bouillon
 Salt to taste

1

Category, , Cuisine, Cooking MethodTags

Ingredients

 1.50 lbs goat meat chunks
 1.50 lbs pumpkin peeled and cut into chunks
 ½ cup palm oil
 ½ cup roasted peanuts
 7 roma tomatoes
 2 large onions
 4 scotch bonnet peppers
 1 bell pepper
 10 oz chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
 5 sorrel (substitute with spinach more spinach when unavailable)
 ¼ cup ground dry cray fish
 2 tbsp shrimp bouillon
 Salt to taste

Directions

1
Miyan Taushe Pumpkin Stew
IngredientsDirections

#5 – Egusi Pudding

Rating

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Yields6 Servings
Prep Time30 minsCook Time1 hrTotal Time1 hr 30 mins

Egusi pudding is a Cameroonian meal made out of egusi also called melon seeds or pumpkin seeds. The egusi is ground then mixed with fish, meat, other ingredients and steamed in banana leaves. It is a very delicious Cameroonian meal which you can enjoy as a side dish or a main meal. Hope you enjoy this video on how to make egusi pudding!

 3 cups of Egusi
 ½ cup crayfish
 1 cup ground smoked meat of choice or fish-sliced (options include beef, dried or smoked fish of choice, boiled chicken or smoked turkey) I used smoked beef and chicken
 2 cups water
 ½ large crayfish seasoning cube
 1 tsp salt
 1 egg (optional)
 1 ground hot pepper - habanero, scotch bonnet or chili

1

Category, CuisineCooking MethodTags, ,

Ingredients

 3 cups of Egusi
 ½ cup crayfish
 1 cup ground smoked meat of choice or fish-sliced (options include beef, dried or smoked fish of choice, boiled chicken or smoked turkey) I used smoked beef and chicken
 2 cups water
 ½ large crayfish seasoning cube
 1 tsp salt
 1 egg (optional)
 1 ground hot pepper - habanero, scotch bonnet or chili

Directions

1
Egusi Pudding By Precious Core
IngredientsDirections

#6 – Liberian Pumpkin Stew

Rating

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Yields1 Serving

It's called pumpkin soup but it isn't made with anything orange that you carve at Halloween. You use an orange colored squash. And, honestly, any squash you find is going to work on this dish. Once you get your squash, you throw in all the usual ingredients found in Liberian cooking.

 1 large onion
 1 cup palm oil
 1 medium pumpkin
 1 small can tomato paste
 2 maggi (bouillon) cubes
 1 pound of meat if desired
 salt and pepper to taste

1

Category, , CuisineCooking MethodTags

Ingredients

 1 large onion
 1 cup palm oil
 1 medium pumpkin
 1 small can tomato paste
 2 maggi (bouillon) cubes
 1 pound of meat if desired
 salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1
Liberian Pumpkin Stew by Albert Quayee
IngredientsDirections

#7 – Nhopi 

RatingDifficultyBeginner

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Yields1 Serving
Prep Time5 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time25 mins

Nhopi is a porridge like dish made mainly with pumpkin, shamba/winter squash, mealie meal, and peanut butter. Depending on the sweetness of the pumpkin, it can be a sweet dish but it is not eaten as a dessert. Sometimes people add sugar to it if the pumpkin is not sweet enough. My grandmother serves it for lunch with some vegetables like rape, or spinach. I like to eat it as a dessert.

 1 pound butternut squash / pumpkin cubed
 1 tablespoon peanut butter
 ¼ teaspoon salt
 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
 ¼ teaspoon ginger

1

Cuisine, Cooking MethodTags

Ingredients

 1 pound butternut squash / pumpkin cubed
 1 tablespoon peanut butter
 ¼ teaspoon salt
 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
 ¼ teaspoon ginger

Directions

1
Nhopi Recipe (Zimbabwean Pumpkin Porridge) by Princess Tafadzwa
IngredientsDirections

#8 – Pumpkin Bredie

Rating

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Yields1 Serving

Add a stamp for South Africa to your culinary passport. Lamb stewed until tender with peppers, onion, spices, and pumpkin makes a beautiful dish to serve over rice.

 2 tablespoons oil
 4 lbs stewing lamb or mutton, cut into bite-sized pieces
 4 onions, sliced
 1 chili pepper, finely chopped, seeded if desired
 6 cups diced raw pumpkin
 1 pinch ground nutmeg
 1 pinch ground cinnamon
 1 tsp sugar
 1 bay leaf
 1 piece (2-inch size) orange peel
 cup water
 Salt and pepper to taste

1

Category, , Cuisine, Cooking MethodTags

Ingredients

 2 tablespoons oil
 4 lbs stewing lamb or mutton, cut into bite-sized pieces
 4 onions, sliced
 1 chili pepper, finely chopped, seeded if desired
 6 cups diced raw pumpkin
 1 pinch ground nutmeg
 1 pinch ground cinnamon
 1 tsp sugar
 1 bay leaf
 1 piece (2-inch size) orange peel
 cup water
 Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1
South African Pumpkin Bredie
IngredientsDirections

#9 – Bitter Leaf Soup

Rating

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Yields1 Serving

The soup gets it’s name from the vegetable- bitter-leaf, also known as Vernonia amygdaline, wuro, or  onugbu . It is a widely consumed vegetable in West Africa and  is added to soups, stews and one pot meals for flavor, texture and nutritional benefits.

This flavorful West African vegetable soup recipe is predominant in Cameroon. It can be paired with a starch of your choice like fufu.

 2 -3 pounds of assorted meat chicken, beef, smoked fish, smoked turkey
 ¼- ½ cup cooking oil
 ½ large onion sliced
 2 tomatoes sliced
 2 teaspoons garlic minced optional
 ½ cup ground crayfish
 ½ cup ground egusi
 2 cups washed bitterleaf 3 cups if using bitterleaf only
 3 cups fresh chopped spinach
 1 tablespoon bouillon or 2 maggi cubes
 Salt and pepper to taste

1

Category, , Cuisine, Cooking MethodTags, ,

Ingredients

 2 -3 pounds of assorted meat chicken, beef, smoked fish, smoked turkey
 ¼- ½ cup cooking oil
 ½ large onion sliced
 2 tomatoes sliced
 2 teaspoons garlic minced optional
 ½ cup ground crayfish
 ½ cup ground egusi
 2 cups washed bitterleaf 3 cups if using bitterleaf only
 3 cups fresh chopped spinach
 1 tablespoon bouillon or 2 maggi cubes
 Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1
Cameroon Bitter Leaf Soup
IngredientsDirections

With Thanksgiving around the corner, there is no better time to start preparing for your menu. It is important to mention that pumpkin is highly nutritious. When you prepare a pumpkin recipe for the family you are also bursting them with essential vitamins and minerals. Which of the recipes do you think you will be giving a try first? feel free to share your thoughts in the comment box below.

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