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How to Prepare Obuasi’s Favourite Rice and Abenkwan

Palm nut soup, also known as “abenkwan” in Ghana, is a popular dish in West Africa but much more popular in Obuasi. Some even refer to Obuasi as the Rice and abenkwan town.

Here is a recipe to prepare palm nut soup:

  • Wash palm nuts thoroughly with clean water in a large bowl
  • Place nuts in a large cooking pot. Pour enough water to cover and boil under high heat for about 20- 30 minutes until its soft and tender.
  • Drain water from nuts when cooked and pour into a mortar. Pound nuts with pestle until all the covering of the palm nuts fall off.
  • Pour the pounded mixture into a bowl. Pour enough warm water to mix. Take the fiber part of the mixture bit by bit and squeeze the liquid out
  • Then using a colander, drain the liquid from the fiber and nuts. Set liquid aside
  • Wash meat and cut into smaller pieces and place into a cooking pot.
  • Peel and wash ginger, garlic, pepper  and onions. Blend ingredients together until smooth.
  • Pour the blended mixture over the chopped meat.
  • Add seasoning and salt. Cook meat for about 10 minutes. Add crabs if using
  • Add fresh tomatoes, garden eggs and 1 onion to cooking pot.
  • Cover with lid and allow them to cook until soft
  • Pour the palm liquid over meat and gently stir. Add prekese
  • Remove the tomatoes, onions, garden eggs and pepper. Blend and add to soup
  • Adjust salt
  • Add dry fish or salmon
  • Cook for  20 minutes until oil forms on top of soup.
  • You can let it cook to the thickness level of your choice.

It is now time to cook your rice. And these are the steps to cooking your plain rice.

  1. Rinse the rice.
  2. Use the right ratio of water. Add 2 parts water and 1 part rice to a large pot. For slightly firmer rice, use 1 part liquid to 2/3 parts rice.
  3. Bring the water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add a big pinch of salt.
  4. Maintain a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, and maintain a gentle simmer.
  5. Cook without peeking or stirring. Cook until the water is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Try not to peek until the end of the cooking time so the steam doesn’t escape. Whatever you do, don’t mix the rice while it’s cooking — this will lead to gummy rice.
  6. Let the rice rest covered. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. During this time, the rice will steam for extra fluffy results.

You can now serve your rice with the palm nut soup.

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