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Ngwo Ngwo

Also known as Ngwo Ngwo (Offal Salad)

Ngwo Ngwo is a boldly seasoned, deeply spiced Igbo offal dish made from assorted cow internals — tripe (shaki), liver, kidney, heart and cow skin (ponmo) — cooked together in a fiery, flavour-packed broth with uziza leaves, pepper and local spices. It is a dish associated with Igbo communal culture, particularly popular at evening drinking spots, bars and social gatherings in Anambra State and across South-East Nigeria.

Ngwo Ngwo, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • A large handful of cow tripe (shaki), cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • A large handful of cow liver, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • A large handful of ponmo (cow skin), cut into pieces
  • A large handful of cow kidney, cut into pieces
  • Half a handful of cow heart — optional
  • 2 big onions — 1 for boiling, 1 for sauce
  • 3 to 4 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 Tatashe (red bell pepper), blended
  • 2 cooking spoons of palm oil
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • A small handful of uziza leaves, finely shredded
  • 2 to 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • 1 teaspoon of utazi leaves, finely shredded — optional
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of ehuru (ground calabash nutmeg)

Method

  1. 01

    Cleaning the Offal. This step is crucial. Rinse all offal pieces thoroughly under cold running water. Rub the tripe with lemon juice and a generous amount of salt — this removes the strong smell. For the liver and kidney, soak in cold salted water for 15 minutes, then drain. Cut away any fat, gristle or membrane from all pieces. Rinse everything thoroughly once more.

  2. 02

    Parboiling. Place all the cleaned offal pieces in a large pot. Add 1 roughly chopped onion, seasoning cubes, salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the tripe and ponmo are tender when pierced with a fork. The liver and kidney will cook faster — check and remove them earlier if needed. Drain all pieces and reserve the broth.

  3. 03

    Making the Pepper Sauce. Heat 2 cooking spoons of palm oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the second onion (chopped) and fry for 2 minutes. Add the blended Atarodo and Tatashe. Fry vigorously for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly, until cooked through and the oil floats on top.

  4. 04

    Finishing the Ngwo Ngwo. Add all the parboiled offal pieces to the pepper sauce. Add ground crayfish, ground ehuru, remaining crushed seasoning cubes and salt. Add a ladleful of the reserved broth to keep everything moist. Stir well and cook on medium heat for 10 more minutes until the sauce is thick and clings to the meat.

  5. 05

    Adding the Leaves. Add the shredded uziza leaves (and utazi if using) in the final 2 minutes of cooking. Stir through. Taste and adjust seasoning. The uziza adds a distinctive peppery, fragrant finish.

  6. 06

    Serving. Serve hot in a deep bowl.

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