Groundnut Soup Extraordinaire

When I was in Ghana in 2010 I co-prepared groundnut soup on multiple occasions but I never prepared it solo so on this trip to Ghana I decided that I would leave knowing how to perfect groundnut soup.

While working in Koforidua in February I had Mama Augusta (who prepares all the meals for YCI Volunteers) show me again how to prepare the soup. It was difficult to write down the recipe as she doesn't measure anything, it's literally just "some" of this, "some" of that and a "little" of this!

I returned to Accra in March and attempted the first solo mission with my colleague, Danika. It was such a success and such a hit with everyone we lived with. Since then I have prepared it on 3 other occasions and I think I am now ready to share my recipe. 

Note: I've always prepared this dish in large quantities to feed upwards of 10 people so I'm not sure how to make this on a small scale! It's good for left overs though, or just invite all your friends who are willing to try something new...and delicious!

Vegetarian Groundnut Soup with Rice Balls

What you will need:

- 1 head of cabbage

- Garlic cloves (to your liking...I like a lot!)

- 1 large onion

- Ginger (also to your liking)

- Spices (Cayenne or similar)

- Onga (a substitute would be boullian cubes or soup flavouring)  

- Groundnut paste (a substitute outside of Ghana would be natural peanut butter)

- Tomato paste

- Rice

Groundnut Soup:

Mixing the groundnut paste and tomato paste

1. Finely chop the garlic, onion and ginger. If you have a blender or puree, that is even better and less time consuming!
2. Chop the cabbage into fair size pieces 
3. Add 1 cup of water to a pot and bring it to a boil
4. In a separate bowl, combine the groundnut paste and tomato paste. Stir until completely mixed
5. Add 1 cup of water to mixture and stir. Repeat with another cup of water.
6. Add this mixture to the pot of boiling water and stir
7. Add more water to the pot until desired consistency (ie: add more water if you want soup or less water if you want stew)
8. Add in spices and onga (or substitutes), stir
9. Add in garlic, onion, ginger puree, stir
10. Let boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally
11. Add in cabbage 5-10 minutes before you want to serve (to avoid soggy cabbage!)

Rice Balls:

1. When starting the soup, add desired amount of rice to a pot of water and let it boil (cover or uncovered)
2. Note: the trick to making rices balls is to over cook the rice so that it becomes sticky and can be formed into balls
3. When the rice looks almost cooked, add more water and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon
4. Keep adding small amounts of water and stirring until the rice becomes sticky
5. When you have sticky rice, take a fist size amount of rice and place it into a small bowl. Add a small amount of water to the bowl so that the rice doesn't stick to the sides. 
6. Swirl the bowl around until the rice forms into a ball
7. Repeat until all rice is formed into balls
8. Now you have "Omo tuo"

Serve rice balls in bowls and ladle soup into bowls. Or, go traditional Ghanaian style and serve in one gigantic bowl and eat communally...with your right hand, of course!

Enjoy :)

Danika makes her first rice ball!

Wasiu gets some airtime on his rice ball

Balls for all!

Two thumbs up!

African Midas Beach Resort

Easter long weekend in Ghana is especially long as people are also given the Monday off as a holiday. I decided to take full advantage of this extra day and headed to the beach, of course.

Normally I head west but this time I took a different direction and went to Ada which is east of Accra by about 2 hours. The town of Ada is not really the attraction but if you turn right at the Ada junction and head in the direction of "Big Ada" to Ada Foah you will find an incredible beach scene where the the Volta Delta meets the Atlantic Ocean. This is where I set up camp, quite literally, in a beach hut for 3 days.

Beach Hut Accommodations

Initially, I had made a reservation at another beach camp along the same shore called Maranatha Beach Camp. However, despite calling a week in advance and then calling again a day before to confirm the reservation, when I showed up they didn't have a room prepared for me, saying that they were not informed of the reservation. I guess it was fate because this lost reservation, along with bad customer service, forced me to take a walk further down the shore where I found the African Midas Beach Resort.

I have never written a review blog but the African Midas Beach Resort was just so amazing and so relaxing that I have to share it with others. After a conversation with the owner of the beach camp and inquiring about how he gets most of his customers, I discovered that lack of advertisement and marketing is hindering what could be a booming business.

So, here is my plug for the African Midas Beach Resort in Ada Foah.

You can reach African Midas Beach resort by car or trotro from Accra. If you take a tro  you will drop at the Ada Foah station and pick a taxi to the river shore where you can arrange for a boat to take you to the Resort for a small fee of 5 Ghana Cedis. If you are not a fan of small, wooden boats, I wouldn't worry too much as the ride is quick and painless on a calm river. Just mind the driver scooping out water from the boat as you go!

The Basics: 

The Beach Resort is by no means a five star Resort As you can see from the picture above, you will be staying in a beach hut with basic amenities, ie: a bed and a bed net. You will share a toilet and shower with the other guests. Price per night is GHC 25, but you are paying for way more than just the basics!

The Bonuses: 

• The floor of the hut is concrete so that when you drag sand into your hut, at least half of it won't end up in bed with you! 
• The toilet is a flush toilet
• The showers have running water, not "bucket showers" 
• There is electricity in the room so you can find your way at night, although there is no electrical outlet. You can leave your tech stuff with staff to charge at the reception/bar where it will be safe.
• It is much quieter at night than Maranatha Beach Camp which plays loud music on the weekends until fairly late at night 
• The staff is wonderful. Friendly and helpful
• The food is amazing and decently priced
• The atmosphere is very relaxing and peaceful with the calm river on one side of you and the harsh, crashing waves of the Ocean on the opposite side
• The water is clean, you are not swimming with plastic bags or garbage

My Recommendations:

• Take a book, or two. There isn't much to do, but isn't that the draw to a relaxing beach weekend?
• Swim in the river side as opposed to the Ocean as the waves and currents in the Ocean are very strong and dangerous
• Order your food an hour or so before you want to eat as it can take a while to prepare
• Bring your own snacks, breakfast food, etc. You are allowed to bring almost everything you need but it's nice to support the community. Plus, food and drinks are reasonably priced. ie: Star for GHC 3 and a meal for GHC 7-10, depending on what you order
• Call Uncle Kofi to make a reservation. He will also arrange for a boat to pick you and bring you to the Resort.

Contact Information:

To make a reservation or to inquire for more information contact the owner, Uncle Kofi at
+233 244 965 078

Photos:

The boat

The boat ride

Along the shore

A relaxing place to do nothing!

Kick up your feet

Sunset

If you find yourself in the Accra area, definitely check this place out as the beach is so much nicer and cleaner than beaches around Accra where you swim with plastic bags.

I rate this resort 2 thumbs up!