Nothing says ‘Fall’ or ‘Autumn’ in Africa than this west African pumpkin stew. In Africa, we use pumpkins in a slightly different way. As opposed to sweet baked goods and sweet drinks, African traditional pumpkin meals are deep and savoury. Miyan Taushe – also called Nigerian Pumpkin Stew or West African Pumpkin stew is a savoury dish native to the Hausa or Fulani tribe of Nigeria.
What is Miyan Taushe
Miyan Taushe, in English means ‘soft soup’. It is a popular West African dish made with ground pumpkins and peanuts. It is often served with meat or fish and is considered a staple food in many parts of West Africa. The dish is typically made by boiling the pumpkins and peanuts together until they are soft, then adding various seasonings and spices to create a flavorful and nutritious meal. Some variations of the dish may include the addition of vegetables, palm oil or other grains to add additional flavor and texture.
Intrestingly, this dish is not widely popular in Nigeria – A fault which I attribute to the lack of access to pumpkins in the southern parts of Nigeria. Additionally, foods from the North of Nigeria are not quite popular in the Middle and Southern regions of the country. A few dishes from the North of Nigeria that have gained wide spread popularity and commercial viability include Suya, Kilishi and KuliKuli.
This fall, I was desperate to document African recipes with pumpkin, if only to prove that we eat pumpkin too. Just like most West African recipes, our pumpkin recipes are centered around a savory and meaty soup or stew served with a round ball of starch as a side e.g Eba, Fufu or Pounded Yam. Hausa Miyan Taushe is just one of those recipes that fits that unpopular hidden food gems from the North.
This recipe remains largely unpopular and I feel it is an amazing recipe that a lot of people would enjoy. To make my Miyan Taushe recipe, I like to start with some roasted base vegetables of Red Onions, Tomatoes, Garlic and Scotch Bonnets. Roasting my base spices adds a depth of flavour to the stew when blended. I also added some scoops of peanut butter to the baking tray so I had a little roasted peanut flavour as well.
How to prepare Miyan Taushe
Miyan Taushe is made with ripe orange pumpkin, Crushed Peanuts, Meat (Beef or Chicken), Spices and Greens. But I took this recipe to the next level by doing something totally different. I added 2 tbsp of Hickory Smoke Powder to the cooking beef broth. This adds yet another flavour depth of smoky and spicy. I will admit this was a test of nature and my surprise was how well it worked.
To keep this dish authentic, you probably need to roast and crush your own peanuts. But my stressless life says otherwise. Crunchy Peanut Butter Friends!!!! I love this dish because you can eat it traditionally as a swallow, with boiled white rice or with naan bread. Please enjoy and leave a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Miyan Taushe Recipe – West African Pumpkin Soup
Miyan Taushe – West African Pumpkin Stew
🍜 Ingredients
- 1 Kg Diced Lamb
- 1 Large Ripe Pumpkin
- 4 Tbsp Crunchy Peanut Butter
- 1 Large Red Onions
- 3 Large Garlic Cloves
- 4 Large Tomatoes
- 3 Large Scotch Bonnets (Use 1 for a milder flavour)
- 2 Large Red Ball Peppers
- 2 tbsp Prawn Powder
- 1 tbsp Hickory Smoke Powder
- 1 tbsp Chicken Stock Powder
- 1 Cup Chopped Spinach
- 4 tbsp Palm Oil
🍰 Instructions
- Peel and Dice the pumpkin. You can pre-roast them to ease up peeling. Dice the pumpkin into bite sized manageable pieces.
- On a roasting Tray, lay the tomatoes, scotch bonnets, Garlic, Red Ball Peppers, red Onions and 1 tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter. Roast in a pre-heated oven at 200C for 30 Mins.
- Add the roasted vegetables to a blender and blend until smooth.
- In a deep pot, bring 5 cups of water to boil and add in the Palm oil, lamb, diced pumpkin, chicken stock powder, prawn powder, hickory smoke powder. Bring to boil until lamb is soft and tender.
- Using a spoon, smash the pumpkins in the pot. Add the crunchy peanut butter.
- Reduce the cooking heat to low-medium and let simmer for about 10-15 mins.
- Add the chopped spinach and stir lightly.
- Serve this with any starchy swallow or with simple rice.
