Nigerian pumpkin soup recipe: How to cook Miyan Taushe

Photo of Nigerian pumpkin soup recipe: How to cook Miyan Taushe

Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable or fruit used for preparing different dishes like pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and porridge. You can never run out of pumpkin uses, even the pumpkn seeds are packed with lots of benefits, andyou can even slice the yellow pulp for chips just the way would have done withpotato chips. Even though it is sometimes hard to come across this lovely vegetable, it is still wise to pick it up whenever you are lucky to find one. You can search for the many uses of pumpkin and I will be listing the few uses in my next post.

Before now, I have not known that the Northern parts of Nigeria have quite a high number of dishes if not the highest in the country. Their dishes include: kunu rice, gote achamiyan kubewa (dried okra soup), miyan taushe, miyan kuka (baobab soup), tuwa masara, tuwu acha and alebo; just to mention a few, because if am to continue, the list would go on and on without ending.

Nigerian pumpkin soup recipe: How to cook Miyan Taushe

 

In todays recipe, we are going to learn how to make miyan taushe; miyan taushe is a popular soup in Northern Nigeria and which it is not really popular to many people. This recipe is what I will call Nigerian or Hausa pumpkin soup. This soup is mostly prepared by the Hausas especially during Ramadan; that is why it is called miyan taushe-which means pumpkin soup, but other people have borrowed this dish, and it is often prepared in very few homes of those who enjoy Northern foods, similar to afang soup. The good thing about miyan taushe (Nigerian pumpkin soup) is that it can be accompanied with any type of solid staple ranging from semolina, eba, fufu to corn flour. The usual accompaniment forthis pumpkin soup is tuwo shinkafa (mashed Arborio rice). Miyan taushe is a light thick soup prepare with a mashed pumpkin pulp, it is usually garnished with assorted meat and seasoned with local seasonings like African nutmeg,and locust beans and other few seasonings. One important thing to consider when preparing miyan taushe is that the vegetables doesnt have to be much, a little amount is just needed to complement the orange colour of the soup. Also, the soupshould not be allowed to become very thick because it gets thicker even the next day. Miyan taushe is a tasty soup with a distinctive aroma which is a must tryfor everyone.

In the preparation of pumpkin soup palm oil is not usually included since red bell peppers and tomatoes are going to be made used of and they add to the orange colour of the soup. However, one can still include palm oil if he prefers since it is a matter of preference.

Table of Contents

Ingredients for preparing Nigerian pumpkin soup (miyan taushe)

  • 1 Cup mashed pumpkin or pumpkin pulp
  • 1 Kg assorted meat (cow intestine- saki, fuku, heart and kidney)
  • 1 piece smoked fish
  • Cup grinded groundnut
  • 2 Tablespoons ground crayfish
  • Traditional ingredient or locust beans (Dawadawa)
  • 1 Cup sorrel leaves and spinach, chopped (yakwa and alehu)
  • 1 Big soup spoon palm oil (optional)
  • 3 Pieces scotch bonnet peppers
  • teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 pieces red bell peppers
  • 2 pieces ripe tomatoes,
  • 3 seasoning stock cubes, mashed
  • 1 ball onion, chopped
  • Salt to taste

Just before the preparation of pumpkin soup

Roast groundnuts in a pan till slightly brown (this should take about 3-5 minutes and not more than that, since it is few), and leave it to get cool. See here how to roast groundnuts.

Already roasted peanuts
Already roasted peanuts

 

  • Wash; season your meat with 1 stock cube, onions, pepper, salt and ginger or garlic if you are using any. Place on heat to cook.
The process of cooking assorted meat
The process of cooking assorted meat

 

  • While the meat is cooking, cut pumpkin into two, take one side, deseed it and remove just about a cup of the orange pulp into a bowl containing water to rinse.
Chopped pumpkin chunks
Chopped pumpkin chunks

 

  • When the meat is almost done, add the pumpkin to the pot containing the meat and cook until soft and almost falling apart. You can add more water and seasoning to the pot while cooking this.
Nigerian pumpkin soup recipe: How to cook Miyan Taushe

 

Pumpkin chunks becoming very soft, just about dissolving into the soup
Pumpkin chunks becoming very soft, just about dissolving into the soup

 

  • When you notice the pumpkin soft; directly mash them inside of the pot,leaving about two pieces inside the pot, try mashing them or use a hand blender to blend it into a smooth paste. The un-mashed pumpkins would allow you to have some chunks of pumpkin in your soup and if you do not like the chunks, just mash all the pumpkins inside the soup pot.
  • By now, your groundnuts must have been cold and ready to be peeled and blended.Peel off the skin and grind them in a dry mill into a smooth paste and keep aside.
Peanut paste
Peanut paste

 

  • Roughly blend the red bell peppers, scotch bonnet peppers and tomatoes together. If you love to chop your tomatoes into chunks instead of blending them, you can simply do that.
  • Wash and chop your yakwa leaves and spinach (sorrel) into pieces and keep aside.
  • Blend crayfish, pepper, ginger and locust beans (dawadawa) and also dress smoked fish, chop onion and keep all aside.
Most of the pumpkin soup ingredients already prepared and kept
Most of the pumpkin soup ingredients already prepared and kept

 

Procedures for preparing Nigerian pumpkin soup (miyan taushe)

  1. Add 1 cup of water to the meat you have already cooked and bring to a boil.
  2. Add the groundnut paste and the smoked fish to the pot containing the meat and the mashed pumpkin. Let the content simmer for 5 minutes on a medium heat until the groundnut is completely dissolved.
  3. Add the blended peppers and the tomatoes to the content and let it cook for10 minutes on a low heat. If you are going to be adding palm oil, this is the stage to do so.
  4. Add crayfish, salt and the remaining seasoning cubes and let this simmer on a low heat.
  5. Add yakwa leaves, stir and let it cook for 3-5 minutes still on low heat uncovered. This will enable the vegetable stay fresh even after the soup is brought off from heat.
  6. Stir and readjust seasoning if necessary and put off heat.
  7. Your pumpkin soup is ready serve with tuwo shinkafa or semolina.

Bon appetit!

Easy steps on how to prepare pumpkin soup (miyan taushe)

  1. Add more water to the meat to increase the meat stock
More water should be added to the soup to increase it content
More water should be added to the soup to increase it content

 

2. When the water starts to boil, add groundnut paste and smoked fish, let the content simmer for 5 minutes for the groundnut to dissolve.

3. Add other seasonings like crayfish, bouillon cubes, onions, and taste for salt.

This is what the soup will look like after the peanut paste has been added in to it
This is what the soup will look like after the peanut paste has been added in to it

 

4. After 5 minutes, add the tomato and pepper blend and reduce the heat. Let this cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and red bell peppers blend into the soup to give the soup some nice redish looking colour
Stir in tomatoes and red bell peppers blend into the soup to give the soup some nice redish looking colour

 

Let the soup bubble for aboout 5-8 minutes for the tomato mix to incorporate
Let the soup bubble for aboout 5-8 minutes for the tomato mix to incorporate

 

5. Add your shredded vegetables and stir, still leave it on a low heat to simmer for 3 minutes.

Shredded yakwa and spinach being added to miyan taushe (pumpkin soup)
Shredded yakwa and spinach being added to miyan taushe (pumpkin soup)

 

After the vegetables have been added into the soup, stir to combine properly
After the vegetables have been added into the soup, stir to combine properly

 

Now you have your orange coloured miyan taushe well cooked. Miyan taushe (pumpkin soup) can become very thick while it cooks, adjust the liquid if need be
Now you have your orange coloured miyan taushe well cooked. Miyan taushe (pumpkin soup) can become very thick while it cooks, adjust the liquid if need be

 

6. You can add more water to the soup if it istoo thick,taste for seasoning and saltadn adjust. Serve with tuwo shinkafa.

scoop pumpkin soup into a serving dish and serve
scoop pumpkin soup into a serving dish and serve

 

Enjoy your miyan taushe with tuwo shinkafa while it is still hot
Enjoy your miyan taushe with tuwo shinkafa while it is still hot