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Donkwa
Donkwa: no-cook balls of toasted corn flour, groundnut, sugar and pepper
Children in Kano and Sokoto buy donkwa from trays at the market gate, and in Yoruba towns it is sold as a sweet-hot snack on the walk home from school: firm little balls of toasted corn flour pounded with roasted groundnuts, sugar and a pinch of dried pepper, bound by the nuts' own oil. They are crumbly, nutty and gently spicy. Contains peanut. The common mistake is under-toasting the corn: raw corn flour tastes chalky and floury, so keep stirring until it is pale biscuit-coloured and smells like popcorn. Chef's tip: if the mixture won't hold, add the oil drop by drop and squeeze each ball hard in your fist before rolling it smooth.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz smooth peanut butter (groundnut paste)unsweetened; contains peanut
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- ½ tsp dried chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp groundnut oilas needed
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast 7 oz fine yellow cornmeal (corn flour) in a dry, heavy pan over a medium-low heat, stirring all the time, for 8–10 minutes until pale golden and smelling of popcorn. Tip onto a tray and cool completely.
10 minStep 2: Mix the toasted flour with 2 ⅛ oz sugar, ½ tsp dried chilli powder, ½ tsp ground ginger and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl.
Step 3: Work in 5 ½ oz smooth peanut butter (groundnut paste) with your fingertips until the mixture looks like damp sand and holds together when squeezed. Add 2 tbsp groundnut oil a little at a time if it is too dry.
5 minStep 4: Take a tablespoon at a time, squeeze it firmly in your fist, then roll it into a smooth ball. You should get about 24.
10 minStep 5: Leave to firm up for 30 minutes. Keep in an airtight tin for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does donkwa take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of smooth peanut butter (groundnut paste)?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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