DIY Recipes: How to make Nkatiekonto (Groundnut soup with greens)

Rice balls best complement this recipe.

Ingredients

1 onion

1 head garlic, peeled

2 inches ginger

2 hot peppers (habanero is the most authentic)

1 small can of tomato paste

1-1/2 cups natural, creamy peanut butter

6-8 cups water

1 tablespoon of salt (or so)

1 cup of black-eyed peas, soaked for a few hours

8 cups of vegetables, chopped into large-ish chunks (carrots, green or red peppers, green beans, cabbage, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, etc)

1 head kale, chard, spinach, or collard greens (chopped)

Method

Chop the onion and saute in a large soup pot with a small amount of oil.

Once translucent, add the mushrooms. In a blender, combine garlic, ginger, hot pepper, tomato paste (which is widely used in Ghana, by the way), peanut butter, and a couple of cups of water.

Blend until smooth and pour into the soup pot. (If you don’t have a blender then mince the ginger, garlic, and pepper and toss everything into the pot, it will work just fine). In Ghana, we use a locally made clay mortar and wooden pestle to grind the ingredients; most people do not have a blender.

Add the rest of the water, the beans, and the remaining vegetables, except for the greens, which you should add in the last 10 minutes. Simmer on medium-low heat for an hour or more, until the beans are soft and oil begins to separate and float on top of the soup. (If you have a pressure cooker, you can cook this whole concoction that way, but be aware that some will burn on the bottom). Let the pressure cap jiggle and spurt for 12 minutes.

Serve with Omotuo (Rice balls).