Cowtail Nkwobi Recipe

August 4, 2013

By Luchy

This recipe I’m sharing today has saved many marriages, crashed a few, and even united enemies from time immemorial. No kidding! If your Igbo husband is not a night security man and he isn’t back home before 7 p.m, he is most likely somewhere eating Nkwobi. Just hope a female human specie is not helping him pour his drink. Any where this dish is served there is laughter and happiness. I am yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like it.

Nkwobi might be the oldest recipe to come out of Igboland. Over the years the ingredients has been modified to include stock cubes and crayfish, but the essence, the taste, has remained relatively the same. It is so traditional that certain ingredients might not have English names yet – or I don’t know the English names. *covers face*

INGREDIENTS

Ehuru seeds

Ugba/ Ukpaka

Ogiri

Shredded utasi

~Roasted Cowtail
~6 Fresh hot Habanero peppers (Or as many as you can stand; Nkwobi should be quite spicy)
~Ground edible potash (Akanwu)
~Salt
~Palm oil
~Onions
~Crayfish
~Ogiri (A local Igbo seasoning)
~Ugba/Ukpaka (Sliced oil bean)
~Utasi
~7 Ehuru seeds
~3 stock cubes
  **All ingredients can be bought from any local Igbo market

PREPARATION
1) Grind peppers and crayfish.
2) Chop onions. Cut some into rings for garnishing.
3) Reconstitute the powdered potash with water.
4) Using a dry pan roast Ehuru seeds, then peel and grind them.
5) Chop Utasi leaves. Utasi is used for only garnishing.

METHOD
1) Cut cow tail into pieces. Add chopped onions, a pinch of salt and 2 stock cubes. Cook till tender. Set aside to cool.

2) Add palm oil to a pot. Heat oil till it is very hot. Now add the dissolved potash in water to the hot oil gradually and gently until you get your desired yellow colour. The sauce also thickens as you add the potash.

Nice yellow colour gotten without adding too much potash

3) Add the Ogiri, dissolve in oil by mashing with a spoon against the side of the pot. (Note: Some variants of Nkwobi omit adding Ogiri)
4) Add the ground pepper, ground crayfish and ground Ehuru. Also add salt and 1 stock cube. Stir to mix. Allow to cook for about a minute. Then add the sliced Ugba. Allow to cook for one more minute.

Ngo

5) Add the cooked meat. Stir and allow meat to cook in the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the meat

6) Serve in a small bowl. Garnish with onion rings and chopped Utasi leaves.

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