Light Soup (Nkrakra)

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ lbs (1 kg) chicken pieces or goat meat (bone-in for best flavor)
• 6 medium fresh tomatoes
• 2 large onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger
• 2 Scotch bonnet peppers
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
• 1 medium garden egg (African eggplant) or regular eggplant
• 2 tsp (10 ml) prekese powder (optional - traditional flavor enhancer)
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 seasoning cubes
• Salt to taste
• 6-8 cups water

Instructions

1. Blend together: 3 tomatoes, 1 onion, garlic, ginger, and Scotch bonnet peppers to form a smooth marinade paste.
2. Cut meat into serving pieces and rub thoroughly with half the marinade. Let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Place meat and its marinade in a large pot. Cook covered over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, allowing meat to release its juices and brown slightly in its own fat.
4. Add tomato paste and stir. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is tender: about 40 minutes for chicken, 1-1.5 hours for goat.
6. While meat cooks, dice remaining 3 tomatoes, 1 onion, and the garden egg.
7. When meat is tender, add the diced vegetables to the pot. Cook for 20 minutes.
8. Remove the cooked tomatoes, onion, and garden egg. Blend until smooth with 1/2 cup of the soup liquid.
9. Return the blended vegetables to the soup. Stir well.
10. Add prekese powder, thyme, and seasoning cubes. Season with salt.
11. Simmer for 10 more minutes. The soup should be thin but flavorful - add more water if too thick.
12. Serve hot with fufu, banku, or rice balls.

Tips & variations

• The soup should be thin and brothy - that's why it's called 'light' soup. For the best flavor, use bone-in meat and cook low and slow. Prekese (Aidan fruit) adds an authentic woody, slightly sweet flavor but can be omitted. Don't pierce the Scotch bonnet peppers unless you want intense heat. Garden eggs add body and a slight bitterness that balances the dish.