A typical Nigerian evening in the hood would be a bustling street with children playing around in their compound entrance, young men holding up a cigarette in between their fingers as they ask the mallam in the kiosk to help them with a lighter. Just around the street is a beer parlor with a mini LED television displaying a football match, men of different ages gathered around, yelling “goal ball” as the ball strikes the net.
Usually in a beer parlor setting like this, there’s always one present delicacy known as nkwobi. Nkwobi is a popular Nigerian delicacy made mostly from cow feet. It is a common delicacy among the Igbo tribe from the southeastern region of Nigeria. However, nkwobi can be eaten by all tribes. It is usually displayed in a calabash that looks like a mini mortar, and it is often paired with palm wine. In this article we’re going to discuss how this Nigerian delicacy is made.
Essential Ingredients Used For Making Nkwobi
- Cow part → This could be anything like a cow’s foot, tendon, and skin.
- Palm oil → Palm oil which is an extract of palm kernel is the common oil used to make the base of this delicacy.
- Onions → A base ingredient for the sauce.
- Tomatoes (optional) → Add sweetness and acidity to the sauce.
- Peppers → To add spicy flavor.
- Spices → Ginger, garlic, curry powder, bouillon cubes, ehu (calabash nutmeg), and salt.
- Other ingredients → Ugba (fermented oil bean seeds), utazi leaves (bush buck), and edible potash.
Preparation of Nkwobi
Step 1: The first step to making just the right nkwobi that is similar to the ones sold in the beer parlor is to buy the right cow meat. Buying the right cow parts will determine how chewy, and gelatinous the meat will be. After selecting the right meat, you’ll proceed to wash each piece thoroughly to remove debris and foreign matter on the surface of the meat. Then cut them into chewable sizes.
Step 2: Usually, this meat comes with fat stuck to the sides of the meat. Some people prefer this fat in their food while some don’t. If you don’t want the fat in your meal, all you need to do is trim the excess away. After that, rinse the meat once more and place it in a pot. Add some water into the pot, add a bulb of onion, pepper, salt, bouillon cubes and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down and let the meat simmer for about 30 minutes.
Step 3: Boil the Ugba in a small portion of water for about 3 minutes. Chop some onions into ring shapes and set them aside. Do the same to the utazi leaves.
These two ingredients are key in the decoration of the meal after preparation.
Step 4: Cook the meat until it’s soft, and the water added dries up. However, keep an eye on the meat so it doesn’t get burnt.
Step 5: Mix the edible potash and a significant amount of water (not too much though, let’s say 250ml). Pour in your palm oil of half a cup into the pot and stir. This mixture will produce a yellow paste that is referred to as “ncha”.
Step 6: Blend or pound some utazi leaves, ehu, and peppers, add some bouillon cubes, crayfish, salt, and onions and mix thoroughly.
Step 7: Allow the meat to cool off for half an hour before thoroughly combining it with the yellow paste and your nkwobi is ready. You can serve this in a calabash or mortar to give it that beer parlor feel, sprinkle more utazi leaves and the ring onions from earlier to complete the delicacy.
Bottom Line
A typical Nigerian evening in the neighborhood is full of life; kids playing, young men chatting, and a lively beer parlor where people cheer on football matches. One popular dish you’ll find there is nkwobi, a flavorful meal made from cow feet.
To make nkwobi, boil cow parts with onions and spices until tender. Mix palm oil with edible potash to create a yellow paste, then combine it with the cooled meat. Garnish with utazi leaves and onion rings, and your nkwobi is ready to be eaten.
