Beniseed Soup – Nigerian Sesame Seed Stew

It has been a while since I last shared a traditional Nigerian recipe, and honestly, I was going to share another cake recipe (coming but next), but recently I had a hankering for something a little interesting. Beniseed, Benne seed or sesame seed, whichever name you choose to call it, makes one of the most delicious Nigerian stews ever, locally known as beniseed soup. Beniseed soup is a native Nigerian stew made from sesame seeds or Beniseed as they are locally known. It is also known as Esa soup in the Nigerian middle belt region around Benue state inhabited by the Tiv tribe that call it ‘ishwa’ soup and Kogi State where it is known as ‘igogo’ soup. It is also common in parts of North Nigeria where the soup is known as ‘ridi’ in Hausa. Other names include ‘ekuku’, ‘isasa’, and ‘epigorigo’.

Beniseed soup is an intensely flavorful and delicious stew, very similar in consistency to other nut or seed soups (like Egusi, almond and peanut stew), but with its own oily distinct taste. It boasts a flavor profile that is quite unique. The soup has a slightly bitter and very nutty taste, and packs quite the flavor punch. It is commonly eaten in the middle belt states of Nigeria with popular starch staples (commonly called fufu) like pounded yam and eba. I used seafood in this beniseed soup recipe, but you are welcome to make it vegetarian or vegan by making the stew without any animal products. To Yummy Medley readers in the west and middle east, if you like the taste of tahinni I would recommend you give this stew a try, it will kick your love for sesame seeds to a new level.

Beniseed Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 and a quarter cup sesame seeds
• 4 pounds or 1.8 kg of seafood (2lbs crabs, 1lb shrimp, 1 lb clams)
• A half pound or 226 grams of dried/ smoked seafood (I used dried smoked shrimp)
• 2 cups of chopped spinach
• 2 cups of seafood stock
• 1 large onion (sliced)
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers (chopped)
• A quarter cup of palm oil
• 3 tablespoons of ground crayfish
• 3 shrimp bullion
• salt to taste

How to Prepare:

1. Rinse the sesame seeds in a fine mesh sieve and drain. Place the seeds in a shallow pan, and toast stirring consistently on medium heat for 10- 15 minutes or until the sesame seeds are toasty and fragrant.

   

2. Blend the tomatoes and set aside.

3. Allow the sesame seeds to cool completely, then  grind into a powder in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Once the sesame seeds are powdered. Stop grinding so that the sesame seeds don’t turn into a paste.

4. In pot, saute the onions and scotch bonnet peppers on medium heat until for 5 minutes.

5. Add in the blended tomatoes and saute for another 15 minutes. The tomatoes should be reduced to a paste.
6. Turn the heat down to low, then add in the crayfish and shrimp bullion. Saute for another 5 minutes.
7. After 5 minutes, add in the stock, and continue cooking the stew covered on low heat for 10 minutes.

8. After 10 minutes, add in the seafood, stir and add in the smoked and dried shrimp. Cover and allow to cook on low heat for 15 minutes.

9. Begin adding in the ground sesame seeds. Stir, and into the stew, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

10. After 15 minutes, add in the chopped spinach, stir and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

11. Serve the stew with traditional fufu, or with rice

Nutrition Facts

Beniseed is a rich source of vitamin A, which is further supplemented by palm oil used in the recipe (also a good source of Vitamin A), but due to the already high fat contained in beniseed, the palm oil is used minimally, since the heat will cause a release of said fat from the seeds [2]. Also note that neither beniseed or beniseed soup is a good source of fiber [1]. This means a side salad dish or fruit salad dish as a dessert is highly recommended!

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Seafood Beniseed Soup

Beniseed or sesame seed, whichever name you choose to call it, makes one of the most delicious Nigerian stews ever, locally known as beniseed soup. Beniseed soup is a stew very similar in consistency to other nut or seed soups popular in Nigeria, but with its own distinct taste.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Nigerian

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 505kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups sesame seeds
• 4 lbs seafood (2lbs crabs, 1lb shrimp, 1 lb clams
• ½ lb dried/ smoked seafood (I used dried smoked shrimp)
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 2 cups seafood stock
• 1 large onion (sliced)
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers (chopped)
• ¼ cup palm oil
• 3 tbsp ground crayfish
• 3 tsp shrimp bullion
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Rinse the sesame seeds in a fine mesh sieve and drain. Place the seeds in a shallow pan, and toast stirring consistently on medium heat for 10- 15 minutes or until the sesame seeds are toasty and fragrant. 
• Blend the tomatoes and set aside.
• Allow the sesame seeds to cool completely, then  grind into a powder in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Once the sesame seeds are powdered. Stop grinding so that the sesame seeds don't turn into a paste.
• In pot, saute the onions and scotch bonnet peppers on medium heat until for 5 minutes.
• Add in the blended tomatoes and saute for another 15 minutes. The tomatoes should be reduced to a paste.
• Turn the heat down to low, then add in the crayfish and shrimp bullion. Saute for another 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, add in the stock, and continue cooking the stew covered on low heat for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, add in the seafood, stir and add in the smoked and dried shrimp. Cover and allow to cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
• Begin adding in the ground sesame seeds. Stir, and into the stew, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, add in the chopped spinach, stir and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Serve the stew with traditional fufu, or with rice.

References

1. M.A. Agiang, I.B. Umoh, A.I. Essien and M.U. Eteng, 2010. Nutrient Changes and Antinutrient Contents of Beniseed and Beniseed Soup during Cooking using a Nigerian Traditional Method. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 13: 1011-1015.
2. M.O. Adegunwa, A.A. Adebowale and E.O. Solano, 2012. Effect of Thermal Processing on the Biochemical Composition, Anti-nutritional Factors and Functional Properties of Beniseed (Sesamum indicum) Flour. American Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2: 175-182.