Egusi Soup (Nigerian Chicken Stew) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Egusi Paste
1 cup egusi seeds (or sunflower or pumpkin)
1/2 large Spanish onion, chopped
10 medium raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
1/4 cup water or 1/4 cup beef broth
Stew
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and keep liquid
2 (5 1/2 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/4 cups beef broth
2 whole chickens, cooked from the deli department (2 lbs each)

Preparation

Egusi Paste: Chop seeds in blender. Add chopped onion to blender as you are cutting it. Add shrimp to blender. Blend until it becomes a smooth paste. You will likely need a little water or broth to help it blend.
Stew: Heat oil in a large pot. Add finely chopped onion to oil. Stir until soft and translucent. Add green pepper and sitr.
Add spinach (with moisture from package), tomato paste and spice. Add broth. Let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove skin from roaster chickens and discard. With your hands, tear off chunks of the meat from chicken and add to the stew. Bring to a simmer again.
Add paste, stir and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.