Ingredients
Rice
- 600 gshort-grain or broken rice
- 1.5 litreswater
- 1 tspsalt
To serve
- groundnut soup, nkatenkwan
- or palm nut soup, abenkwan
- or light soup
Also
- a wooden spoon or pestle
- cling film or a small bowl, for shaping
Directions
- Use short-grain or broken rice, not long-grain basmati. Long-grain rice stays separate and will never bind.
- Wash the rice only once, or not at all. Do not rinse the starch away. Put the rice in a pot with the water and salt and bring it to a boil. Cook it uncovered on a medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, adding hot water as it drinks it.
- Cook it well past the point of tender, until the grains have burst and gone completely soft and sticky. It should look like a thick sticky porridge with no distinct grains left.
- Beat it while it is very hot. A cooled mass stops coming together and stays lumpy, and the whole point is a smooth paste.
- Press it against the sides of the pot as you work to crush any remaining whole grains. It is ready when it is smooth, glossy and elastic and pulls away from the pot in one mass.
- Take a handful, press it into the lined bowl, and turn it out as a smooth round ball. Make them about the size of a fist, which is one serving. Set two or three balls in a wide bowl and ladle hot soup around them, not over them.
- Pour the soup around rather than on top, so the balls stay intact and are broken into it as you eat. Serve immediately, because omo tuo goes hard and dry as it cools and cannot be revived.
Technique
- It is much easier than pounding fufu, which is part of why it became popular.
- The balls can be wrapped in cling film and kept warm for an hour.
- Leftover paste can be fried into cakes the next day.
Substitutions
- Any short-grain or broken rice, including risotto rice.
- Jasmine rice at a pinch, cooked with extra water.
Variations
- Served with light soup and goat.
- With palm nut soup, which is richer.
- Made smaller, as individual portions.
History
Rice balls served with groundnut or palm-nut soup, a Ghanaian Sunday dish that spread as rice cultivation expanded in the twentieth century.
Frequently asked questions
What is Omo tuo?
Omo tuo is a main from Ghana: soft rice balls served in groundnut or palm soup. Rice balls served with groundnut or palm-nut soup, a Ghanaian Sunday dish that spread as rice cultivation expanded in the twentieth century.
How long does Omo tuo take to make?
Omo tuo takes 10 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Omo tuo?
Yes, within limits. Any short-grain or broken rice, including risotto rice. Jasmine rice at a pinch, cooked with extra water.
What is the most important thing to get right in Omo tuo?
Use short-grain or broken rice, not long-grain basmati. Long-grain rice stays separate and will never bind.
