Soups & Stews

Miyan Karkashi (Sesame-Leaf Soup)

Name: Miyan Karkashi (Sesame-Leaf Soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 35 g food-grade dried karkashi leaf powder (Edible sesame leaves, commonly Sesamum radiatum; not sesame seed meal); 400 g beef for stewing (Cubed); 80 g dried smoked fish (Deboned); 100 g onion (Chopped); 15 g dawadawa (Mashed fermented locust beans); 0.5 tsp ground chilli; 0.75 tsp salt; 1200 ml water (Start with 1 litre, reserve 200 ml)

A slippery soup thickened with powdered edible sesame leaves and flavoured with beef, fish and dawadawa. Karkashi points to the leafy part of edible sesame plants, not the seeds that thicken beniseed soup. The leaves can be dried and ground, making a smooth, drawing soup when whisked into broth. Northern cooking sources document it with meat, fish and dawadawa, and the name Jajju is associated with Bajju food accounts. This recipe uses a general dried-leaf method; it preserves that connection without pretending that one pan can stand for all the region’s different household preparations. Cultural context: Centenary Project metadata associates miyan karkashi with Hausa-Fulani cooking. Jajju is independently documented as a Bajju karkashi soup, but this general northern method is not claimed to capture every Bajju household variation.

15 minPreparation

80 minCooking

4Servings

What you’ll need

4 servings

35 g food-grade dried karkashi leaf powderEdible sesame leaves, commonly Sesamum radiatum; not sesame seed meal
400 g beef for stewingCubed
80 g dried smoked fishDeboned
100 g onionChopped
15 g dawadawaMashed fermented locust beans
0.5 tsp ground chilli
0.75 tsp salt
1200 ml waterStart with 1 litre, reserve 200 ml

Let’s get cooking

1
Simmer beef with onion, half the salt and 1 litre water for 55–70 minutes until tender. Add hot water as needed to keep the meat in broth.
2
Inspect smoked fish, remove all bones, and rinse away grit. Add it with dawadawa and chilli to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
3
Sieve the karkashi powder to remove lumps and coarse fibres. Reduce the broth to a gentle simmer. Sprinkle in the powder gradually while whisking with a clean whisk, keeping the pot uncovered.
4
Cook gently for 5–8 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the leaf powder is hydrated and the soup has a silky drawing texture. Watch closely because it can rise and overflow.
5
Add reserved hot water in small amounts if thicker than you like. Taste before adding remaining salt, then serve hot with tuwo.

A little kitchen wisdom

Buy identified food-grade karkashi; do not substitute random hibiscus or jute leaves No ash water or rock potash is required for this deliberately potash-free version Add the powder gradually because a large clump is difficult to disperse Timing estimate: active preparation 15 min; cooking 80 min; additional passive time 0 min; conservative planning allowance 95 min. Some stages may overlap. Recipe status: Research formulation; not kitchen-tested. Allergen checks: Sesame; Fish

Recipe notes & sources

Research formulation; not kitchen-tested

Also known as: Karkashi Leaf Soup

Centenary Project metadata associates miyan karkashi with Hausa-Fulani cooking. Jajju is independently documented as a Bajju karkashi soup, but this general northern method is not claimed to capture every Bajju household variation.

Allergens: Sesame, Fish

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Soups & Stews

Miyan Karkashi (Sesame-Leaf Soup)

15 minPreparation

80 minCooking

4Servings

What you’ll need

4 servings

35 g food-grade dried karkashi leaf powderEdible sesame leaves, commonly Sesamum radiatum; not sesame seed meal
400 g beef for stewingCubed
80 g dried smoked fishDeboned
100 g onionChopped
15 g dawadawaMashed fermented locust beans
0.5 tsp ground chilli
0.75 tsp salt
1200 ml waterStart with 1 litre, reserve 200 ml

Let’s get cooking

1
Simmer beef with onion, half the salt and 1 litre water for 55–70 minutes until tender. Add hot water as needed to keep the meat in broth.
2
Inspect smoked fish, remove all bones, and rinse away grit. Add it with dawadawa and chilli to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
3
Sieve the karkashi powder to remove lumps and coarse fibres. Reduce the broth to a gentle simmer. Sprinkle in the powder gradually while whisking with a clean whisk, keeping the pot uncovered.
4
Cook gently for 5–8 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the leaf powder is hydrated and the soup has a silky drawing texture. Watch closely because it can rise and overflow.
5
Add reserved hot water in small amounts if thicker than you like. Taste before adding remaining salt, then serve hot with tuwo.