Nkwobi
Go on a culinary adventure with this creamy, spicy, African palm oil sauce, mixed in cooked and very tender cow's skin and native West African spices.
Ingredients
- 1 cup palm oil (red oil)
- 2 tsp bouillion
- 2 tsbp akanwu (potash)
- 1.5 lbs cow's skin
- 1 medium purple onion
- 1 tbsp crayfish ground
- 2 small habanero peppers red
- 4 leaves Utazi
- 1 tbsp ehuru ground
Instructions
- Wash the cow skin with water and a little salt, cut into piece, transfer to a pot. Season with bouillon and salt, add enough water to cover the content and cook till cow's skin is very tender. Drain the broth and set aside separately.
- Prep the other ingredients. Dice the onions round rings or your desired shape and set aside. Chop the peppers and utazi leaves and set aside separately.
- Transfer the akanwu to a small bowl, add water, mix together and leave to stand till the akanwu settles at the bottom of the bowl. Carefully drain the water from the akanwu and set aside.
- In a flat surface pan, add the red palm oil, add the water from the akanwu and combine. Mix till the oil changes from a red color to a bright yellow color, with a thick creamy consistency. Add the ground ehuru.
- Add the remaining seasoning and spices - the crayfish, ugba, peppers, chopped onions bouillion and a little broth / meat stock.
- Stir to combine them together. Now add the cooked cow skin pieces and some salt and mix together. Transfer pan to burner or stove and cook on low heat for 1 min. Take the pan off the burner.
- To serve, scoop desired quantity into a bowl and granish with onions and utazi leaves.
Notes
*Do not heat the cow skin nkwobi for more than the stipulated 1 min, to avoid an oily base.
*Can't get hold of any akanwu /potash to make your nkwobi recipe? Baking soda is a good substitute! Just follow the same instructions for using akanwu.
*Add chopped habanero pepper during the garnishing process if you prefer the dish to have a little more heat.
*Nkwobi can be served on its own or with, roasted African yams, fried or roasted plantains, Nigerian palm wine or any other cold drink.
*Nkwobi is best served immediately. Freeze any leftovers and reheat on low heat.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!