Nkatenkwan (Ghanaian Groundnut Soup) with Goat and Rice Balls

Ingredients

• 800 g goat or mutton, bone-in pieces
• 200 g smooth peanut butter
• 2 onions
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli
• 25 g fresh root ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• 300 g short grain rice
• 1 beef stock cube

Method

1. 1

   Put the goat (or bone-in lamb, which cooks faster) in a large pan with 1 chopped onion, the grated ginger, crushed garlic, the crumbled stock cube and 1 tsp salt. Cover and steam in its own juices over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring once.

2. 2

   Add 1.5 litres water, the whole tomatoes, the second onion, halved, and the whole scotch bonnet. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then lift out the tomatoes, onion and chilli, blend them smooth and return to the pan.

3. 3

   Whisk the peanut butter and tomato purée with a ladleful of the hot broth until smooth, then stir into the pan.

4. 4

   Simmer, partly covered, for 40-45 minutes, stirring now and then, until the goat is tender and the soup is the thickness of single cream with red oil on top. Skim some oil off if you like and season with salt.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, make the omo tuo: simmer the rice in 750ml water with a pinch of salt, covered, for 25 minutes until very soft. Mash firmly with a wooden spoon and shape into 8 balls with wet hands.

6. 6

   Serve the soup in deep bowls with two rice balls in each.