Ghanaian Groundnut Soup With Rice Balls Recipes

GHANAIAN GROUNDNUT SOUP WITH RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Rinse the rice to remove excess starch. You do not want to rinse too much as this dish requires the rice to be sticky.
• Season chicken and turkey with salt and pepper. Set aside
• Place the rice, salt and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
• In a large pot, heat oil over low heat, then add the chicken and smoked turkey to the pan and brown on both sides, scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
• Turn down the heat, cover rice and allow the water to absorb into rice. There is more water in this recipe than when making rice normally, this is to make it easier to mash rice together. This will take anywhere from 15-30 minutes depending on size of pot.
• In a blender, blitz onions, garlic, parsley, 4 Scotch bonnets, cayenne, paprika and ginger. Pour the mixture into the pot, add about 1 cup of water and bouillon cubes to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer until tender (depending on the chicken). You may need to add more water so chicken is always simmering in liquid.
• If you find rice too sticky, remove lid and turn heat down so some moisture evaporates.
• Blend your whole tomatoes and strain through a sieve to remove pulp. Pour over chicken. Cook at medium heat.
• Using a sturdy wooden spoon mash and knead the rice against the side of your pot.
• Add the peanut butter and 1 cup of water to blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can add peanut butter and 3/4 cup of water to a small sauce pan, mix together and heat up until smooth. Add this mixture to chicken and top with 5 more cups of water or until your pot is almost full to the top, add crushed tomatoes and add your additional 2-3 Scotch bonnets whole to your soup. Additional Scotch bonnets add some heat but are mostly there for garnish in my opinion.
• Wet a bowl slightly with water and scoop rice into bowl.
• Let your soup simmer for 30 minutes.
• Shaking the bowl in a circular motion (swirling it around) you will be able to form your rice into a ball. You may use clean hands to help you form into a perfect ball.
• Note: Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking. Everyone prefers things to taste slightly different. I like my soup very peanut forward. Adjustment examples include: additional bouillon cube, more salt, more pepper, more blended habanero, more crushed tomato or more peanut butter.
• Serve with groundnut soup or wrap in plastic wrap until ready to eat.
• You should start to see the oil separate and then you know the soup is almost ready. Adjust the soup thickness with water if necessary. Taste and adjust seasonining.
• To reheat rice balls, you may remove plastic wrap and place in microwave, alternatively you may place in boiling water with plastic wrap on to reheat, but ensure that water does not penetrate the plastic excessively or this will make the rice soggy.
• If adding mushrooms, I usually sauté desired amount of mushrooms in oil and season with salt and add to soup as I am serving.

AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Cook onions and bell peppers until lightly browned and tender, stirring in garlic when almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, vegetable stock, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Stir in rice, cover, and simmer another fifteen minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve.