Ghanaian Peanut butter soup with Rice balls - Nkatiekwan and omotuo

Nkatiekwan and Omotuo served in ayowa with black eye peas.

All you need


Peanut butter sauce:
2 tblspn smooth peanut butter
1 cup of warm water (warm enough for hand mix)
1 tblspn tomato paste

Soup
Chicken pieces or drumsticks divided/beef/fish(add fish lastly if using)
2 garlic gloves
1 small size onion
1-2 habanero pepper or piri piri
1 tblspn tomato paste
2-4 cups of water depending on size of saucepan
Chicken Stock block spice (Maggi or Onga spice)
Salt

Rice balls
1 cup rice
3 cups water
1 tsp salt

Boiled Black eye peas

Black eye peas
Water
Salt

Make it:

Start with preparing peanut sauce by mixing  peanut butter and tomato paste together with warm water by hand to form a smooth mixture in an appropriate saucepan. Place on medium heat 20-30 minutes and keep stirring(failing to stir continuously will get the bottom burnt and trust me you don't want that ;) ) stir continuously till sauce thickens(at this stage oil should begin to start forming on the surface). Set aside.

Next, for soup, wash and place chicken or choice of meat/fish(save fish for last), in a deep saucepan on a medium heat. Blend all soup ingredients but salt together with enough  water to make a thick mixture and pour over chicken, cover and allow to sweat for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile add water(2-3 cups) or about same quantity enough for soup to the peanut sauce and set aside again.

Next you can also start to prepare rice by boiling.

Back to soup... stir to incorporate ingredients and add the now mixed peanut butter sauce to the 'chicken soup'. Cover and leave to boil 20-30 minutes. Remove cover, reduce heat and allow to boil another 20-30 minutes.

Check for rice to be cooked and simply use a wooden spoon to mash up it a bit. To make rice balls scoop with spoon onto a board and with a watered hand, roll along to make a ball.

Alternatively you can scoop onto a lined cling film and shape to make a ball. Serve with peanut butter soup and enjoy.

Note...if you want to add Black eye peas, simply soak some in water without salt ahead of time for 5 hours, boiling them firstly before you start with preparing the whole meal. Add salt to the boiled peas just when you ready to serve with Nkatikwan soup and rice balls.

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