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Abenkwan (palm nut soup with goat)
Abɛnkwan: the Ashanti palm-nut soup with goat, smoked fish and garden eggs, for fufu
Sunday lunch in Kumasi often means a deep bowl of abenkwan, the brick-red palm-nut soup that chop bars serve all week with pounded fufu. Goat is first steamed in its own juices with onion and ginger, then simmered with garden eggs, tomatoes and pepper that are blended back in, and finally with the rich cream of palm fruit until a layer of orange oil floats on top. Smoked fish adds a savoury, smoky edge. The soup is thick, slightly sweet, earthy and peppery. Canned palm nut cream, sold in African shops, saves hours of pounding fresh fruit; small white aubergines can replace garden eggs. Chef's tip: simmer until the palm oil rises and collects on the surface; serving it earlier is the most common mistake and leaves the soup tasting raw and heavy.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meat
- 2 ¼ lb bone-in goat meatcut into chunks; or lamb shoulder
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 oz fresh gingergrated
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tsp salt
For the soup
- 6 garden eggsor 3 small white or Thai aubergines
- 1 onionhalved
- 1 ¾ lb palm nut cream (tinned)about 2 tins
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 7 oz smoked mackerel or other smoked fishskin and bones removed, in large flakes
- 3 ½ oz oyster mushrooms (optional)torn
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb bone-in goat meat in a large pot with 1 onion, 1 oz fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves and 2 tsp salt. Stir, cover and cook over a medium heat without water, stirring now and then, until the meat releases its juices and looks grey all over.
15 minStep 2: Add 2 cups water (500 ml), and the whole 4 ripe tomatoes, 6 garden eggs, 1 onion and 2 Scotch bonnet chillies on top of the meat. Simmer covered until the vegetables are soft.
15 minStep 3: Lift out the vegetables and blend them smooth with a ladle of the stock. Push through a sieve back into the pot to remove the seeds and skins.
Step 4: In a bowl, whisk 1 ¾ lb palm nut cream (tinned) with the remaining 4 ¼ cups water until smooth, then stir it into the pot.
Step 5: Bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered over a medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the goat is tender and a layer of orange oil gathers on the surface.
60 minStep 6: Add 7 oz smoked mackerel or other smoked fish and 3 ½ oz oyster mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the fish is heated through. Taste for salt.
10 minStep 7: Serve hot in deep bowls with fufu, omo tuo (rice balls) or boiled yam.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does abenkwan (palm nut soup with goat) take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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