If you are looking for a simple, delicious, and cost-effective dish to make at home, you might want to try angwamo, a traditional Ghanaian rice dish that is cooked in oil. Angwamo, also known as angwamu, angwa moo, or oiled rice, is a staple food in Ghana that is often served with fried eggs, sardines, a red pepper sauce, and shito (a spicy black sauce made from dried fish and shrimp).
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Angwamo is different from fried rice, where you cook the rice before frying it. In angwamo, you fry the rice with onions and salted beef in oil, then add water and cook until the rice is soft and fluffy. The frying process gives the rice a golden color, a sweet flavor, and a glossy sheen. The salted beef, also known as tolo beef or Ghana tolo beef, adds a musky and aromatic taste to the dish. You can also add vegetables, such as carrots, peas, or corn, to make it more nutritious.
Angwamo is one of the easiest dishes to make, and it only requires a few ingredients that you can find in most grocery stores. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make angwamo at home:
Ingredients for making Angwamo:
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Directions for making Angwamo:
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Wash the rice in a colander until the water runs clear, then drain and set aside.
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In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Remove half of the onion and set aside for later.
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Add the salted beef and fry for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp.
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Add the rice and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to coat the rice with the oil and onion mixture.
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Add the water, the bouillon cube, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed, for about 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork halfway through the cooking time.
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Serve the rice hot, topped with the reserved fried onion. Enjoy with your choice of accompaniments, such as fried eggs, sardines, a red pepper sauce, and shito.
Tips for making Angwamo:
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To make your own salted beef, you will need beef, salt, sugar, spices, and food coloring. Cut the beef into small pieces and rub with salt and sugar. Add spices, such as garlic, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and bay leaves, and food coloring, such as red or pink, to give the beef a distinctive flavor and color. Place the beef in a glass jar and cover with water. Seal the jar and store in a cool and dark place for at least a week, shaking the jar every day. Drain the beef and rinse before using.
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To make your own red pepper sauce, you will need fresh tomatoes, fresh hot peppers, onion, and salt. Blend the ingredients together until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, for about 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
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To make your own shito, you will need dried fish, dried shrimp, onion, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, tomato paste, hot pepper powder, and salt. Grind the dried fish and shrimp into a fine powder. Chop the onion, garlic, and ginger. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and fry until soft, for about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, the hot pepper powder, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the oil separates from the tomato paste, for about 20 minutes. Add the fish and shrimp powder and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined, for about 10 minutes. Transfer the shito to a glass jar and let it cool completely. Seal the jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to a month.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe blog on angwamo. Check our store at My Sasun African Store or http://mysasun.com for all your African groceries. Thank you for reading! 😊
