You're Invited . . . Really, you are!

We'll start with my favourite, shall we!
I bet you didn't know that the name 'Palaver' comes from the Portuguese, and means a meeting between important people to achieve a common understanding.
Apparently, when the Europeans came to Ghana and met with the chief in Elmina to negotiate trade, the food served at that Palaver - Nkontommire - took on its name.
Of course, now, 'Palaver' means a completely different thing - a problem - which probably means that we, rather than the Portuguese had the name right all along if history is anything to go by.

Anyway, here are two variations of my favourite, Yam and Nkontommire (palaver sauce) which I normally eat prepared with koobi, smoked tuna and a boiled egg . . . I haven't reached the momoni stage yet.

Variation 1:

Ingredients:

Chopped cocoyam leaves, or chopped spinach
Palm oil
Momoni (a very smelly fish) if you are brave enough
Koobi (dried salted tilapia fish)
Smoked Tuna of canned tuna (in oil or water)
Onions
Peppers
Garlic
Tomatoes
Small can of tomato paste
salt
Maggi Cube

Note: You can also add dried shrimp powder (ground to a powder)

Preparation:

1 - Fry the onions in the palm oil until soft, then add the momoni (if being used) and/or koobi.
2 - After a few minutes, added the chopped/pureed peppers,garlic and tomatoes.
3 - Add the tin of tomato paste and the Maggi cube (if used) and stir well
4 - After two or three minutes, add the dried shrimp power (if being used) and cook for about five minutes
5 - Add the tuna, flaked or chopped, until well cooked
6 - Add the chopped cocoyam or spinach leaves for a few minutes.

Serve with ampesi (boiled yam and/or boiled plantain)

Variation 2:

Ingredients:

Efan
Spinach
Bitter leaves
Akatewa
1 lb. meat
Onions
Pepper
Tomatoes
Palm oil
Salt

Preparation:

1 - Wash the efan and spinach
2 - Wash the bitter leaves three or four times
3 - Put the efan, spinach and bitter leaves with a little into the saucepan along with the meat
4 - When the leaves are cooked, cut up finely
5 - Pound and grind the akatewa
6 - Fry the onions, pepper, tomatoes; add stock or water
7 - Add the meat and the akatewa (mixed with a little water into a watery paste)
8 - Add the leaves and salt and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve with ampesi (yam and plantain) or kenkey.

Source: Ghanaian Favourite Dishes by Alice Dede

Kelewele can be part of a main meal (like Red Red) - I love eating it with jollof rice and have been know to add it to yam and palaver sauce - but more often, we Ghanaians eat it as a snack with roasted groundnuts.

No interesting anecdote about Kelewele except that it's super easy to make and so, so finger lickingly delicious.

Ingredients:

2 or 3 ripe plantains (how ripe depends on your taste)
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Oil for frying

Preparation:

1 - Mix together the red pepper, salt, ginger, minced garlic, chopped onion and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small bowl.
2 - Peel the plantains and cut on the diagonal into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Place in a large bowl; add the spices and mix well to coat the plantains. If desired, place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to help develop the flavors.
3 - Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add plantains and fry until brown.

Serve hot with roasted groundnuts.

Ingredients:

Rice - (I like using Thai fraganced rice)
Oil
Chopped onions
Chopped garlic
Tomato paste
Pepper
Salt
Maggi Cube
Cubed carrots
Peas
Green Beans
1 or 2 bay leaf

Preparation:

1 - Heat oil
2 - Add chopped onions and garlic and cook on a medium-low heat until transparent
3 - Add the rest of the ingredients except the rice, carrots, peas and beans
4 - Add water and bring to the boil
5 - Add rice, stir, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until rice is cooked
6 - Remove bay leaves and serve with . . .

I love Jollof rice with kele wele, grilled chicken and shito.
Fried fish isn't bad either.

Ingredients:

2 pints of water
Tomatoes
Onions
Pepper
Garlic
Garden eggs
Salt
Onga flavouring (I prefer it to Maggi Cubes)
Groundnut paste (If you fancy the hard work, then, yes, go ahead and buy groundnuts, roast them and then grind the roasted groundnuts into a paste. Buying it ready made is so much easier)
Beef, fish, chicken, goat meat, snails, bushmeat or whatever takes your fancy. Equally, you don't have to add any kind of meat.

Preparation:

1 - Put water in a pan and put it on the fire/cooker
2. - I like to add the meat or chicken (this is Nkatenkwan, Alba style) first. Cook to your taste. This is nice because of the flavour of the chicken or meat goes right into the water
3 - Throw in the rest of the ingredients . . . okay, not all of them. Tomatoes, onions, pepper and garlic
4 - Allow to boil until the vegetables are soft
5 - Take vegetables out and blend them into a paste. If you don't have a blender (why not?) then grind the vegetables in an asanka. Add to the boiling meat.
6 - Take some of the boiling liquid and mix in the groundnut paste. Stir it back into soup.
7 - Add salt and food flavourings. Continue boiling for about another 30 minutes. Oh, I forgot, at this point, you can throw in a couple of garden eggs, as a garnish. Some people add whole okros. Do, what takes your fancy.
8 - Serve with . . .

I love Nkatenkwan with boiled rice or boiled yam, but it goes just as well with fufu, omu tuo, banku, kenkey or, simply, on its own. Whichever way, it is delicious.