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Nkatie cake (Ghanaian peanut brittle)
Crunchy roasted-peanut brittle, sold by Ghana's school-gate hawkers
Nkatie cake, from nkatie, the Twi word for groundnut, is the crunchy peanut brittle sold in small squares wrapped in paper by hawkers at school gates and lorry stations all over Ghana, from Accra to Kumasi. Roasted peanuts are stirred into caramelised sugar, spread thin and cut while warm. It is a sweet treat, so cut the pieces small. It contains peanuts. Whole peanuts and hard brittle are a choking risk for under-5s, so it is not for young children. Chef's tip: have everything ready before the sugar melts; once the caramel is amber you have seconds, not minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 9 oz raw peanutsskinned
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vegetable oilfor the tray
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Roast 9 oz raw peanuts in a dry heavy pan over a medium-low heat, stirring, for 8–10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Rub off any skins.
10 minStep 2: Line a tray with baking paper and brush it with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Have a spatula and knife ready.
Step 3: Put 5 ½ oz sugar and 2 tbsp water in a clean heavy pan over a medium heat. Swirl the pan, without stirring, until the sugar melts and turns a clear amber colour, about 5 minutes. Keep children away: caramel causes serious burns.
5 minStep 4: Tip in the warm peanuts and 1 pinch salt and stir quickly until every peanut is coated. The common mistake is letting the caramel get too dark before the nuts go in, which makes the brittle bitter.
Step 5: Pour onto the tray and spread thin with the oiled spatula. After 2–3 minutes, while still warm and pliable, score into small squares.
3 minStep 6: Cool completely, snap along the lines and store in an airtight tin, between sheets of baking paper, for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 175 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nkatie cake (Ghanaian peanut brittle) take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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