Nkwobi is a special delicacy from the Eastern part of the country. It is simply cooked with meat, mostly cow hoof/legs cow-leg which is the major ingredient and made into a thick sauce that is irresistible. Most people mistake ‘Nkwobi’ for ‘Isi Ewu (goat head)’ but they are not the same. Nkwobi is simple to make. It can be easily prepared at home to be enjoyed with family during weekends, with friends or during festive periods. It can also be eaten with boiled white yam.
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Ingredients for Nkwobi
Cow foot (cut into sizeable pieces)
Palm oil
Powdered edible potash (called kaun or akanwu, it is used to make it thick)Ground ehuru seeds (Calabash Nutmeg)
Ground crayfish
Ground peppers (black, red)Onion to cut into ring shapeSalt, chopped onions, Utazi leaves.
Steps in preparing Nkwobi
Cut the cow foot into medium sizes. Put the powered potash into a bowl and add a small quantity of water and stir well. Sieve the water and set the water aside.
Cut the onion into four equal sizes. Pound the pepper with a mortar and pestle or you can use a blender as an alternative. Grind the crayfish.
Wash and put the cow foot chunks in a pot. Add the stock cubes (crushed) and the sliced onion.
Add a small quantity of water and start cooking at medium heat till well cooked. Add just enough water to prevent burning as you cook. There should not be any stock in the pot when the meat is done.
While the meat is cooking, pour the palm oil into a clean dry pot. Pour in the potash mixture into the oil, stir with a wooden spoon as you pour the potash. The palm oil will start to curdle and turn yellow. Keep stirring till all the oil has turned yellow.
Add the ground crayfish, pepper, and ehuru seeds. Stir very well till they are all incorporated. When the meat is done, add salt, stir and cook till all the water has dried. Add the cooked cow foot to the palm oil paste and stir very well with the wooden spoon.
Put it back on the stove/cooker and heat till the nkwobi is piping hot, stirring all the time to make sure it does not burn.
To prepare the garnish, cut the onions into rings and cut the utazi into long thin slices.
Serve the nkwobi in small plates or place in traditional wooden serving bowl and put your onion ring on top of it and the sliced utazi.