Abenkwan (Spicy Vegetable and Seafood Soup)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups red palm oil (a must ingredient, no other oil can even approximate the rich, exotic flavor it has)
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 1 Maggi seasoning cube, crushed (another absolute must ingredient for authentic Ghanaian flavor)
• 1 chili pepper, crushed or 1/2 tsp dried chili powder
• cayenne pepper
• 2 cups tomato, chopped
• 1 cups fresh or fresh picked and canned okra
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into chunks
• 1 lb. fresh catfish or fresh crab meat
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy stew pot, boil the palm oil for 10 minutes.
2. Add onions and pepper and continue cooking on high heat for another 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat, add all remaining ingredients, and simmer for an hour more until soup is somewhat thickened. Stir from time to time.
4. If there is too much palm oil on the surface for your liking, skim it off with a large spoon.
5. Serve your Abenkwan hot, with banku.

---