How to make groundnut candy (luga/ nkate cake)

When I was very young somewhere in a town in Ghana with my mum, she used to sell stuffs that kids love to buy like toffees, biscuits and more of such things. I remember very well that she prepares some delicious product from roasted groundnut which in Ewe is called luga. She would grind the roasted groundnut on our local grinding stone into smaller pieces and prepare the candy and because I was very young, I couldn't learn or even pay attention to how she did the thing. All I knew was it will be prepared, I get my portion and then she would sell the rest. 

Interestingly, somewhere in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, I came across this candy or product and they refer to it as nkate cake. Woo! I was stunned seeing this since all I knew was that I know it from Volta Region not knowing it is in other regions as well.

This is why this post is for anyone who wants to learn more about this product and also understand how it is made.

List of ingredients

It is mainly made from roasted groundnut and sugar. 

These basic and easily accessible ingredients mean that everyone can make it everywhere.

What kind of groundnut is used?

Ideally, every kind of groundnut can be used to produce the candies as some will call it but then not the raw groundnut. There are different ways to roast groundnut but there is one of the methods that makes it look very attractive. 

1) A clean dry pan is placed on fire and allowed to heat a little. After which fresh or raw groundnut is poured into the pan and stirred gently until it turns brownish or roasts well. As it is being roasted, the heat must be very moderate to prevent it from burning which makes it turn black. A major disadvantage of this method is that no matter how the heat is lowered, the groundnut does not roast uniformly as some parts still look black after roasting.

2) Groundnut is first poured into a pan and water is added. Salt is added to it and allowed to boil over the heat for some few minutes. The groundnut has to now be strained and dried under the sun. Doing this makes the groundnut first of all have a good taste as there is the addition of salt. 

Secondly, the boiling process reduces the red colour of the groundnut or decolorizes it a bit which makes it look attractive. The groundnut is then allowed to dry under the sun to evaporate every moisture content. At this stage, the groundnut is already looking shiny and appealing to the eyes and even inducing desire for it. A clean soil and mostly what we use is a sandy soil which is washed with water to ensure it becomes very clean and free of dirt or impurities. The soil after washing definitely contains some moisture even after pouring off the excess water and so it is poured in a pan over heat and allowed to heat until the moisture evaporates. 

The soil now becomes very hot and the dried groundnut is now poured into it and roasted very well. When it is done, the entire thing is poured in a basket or a colander (mostly an alternative). The basket or colander is shaken to let the soil fall through the holes until only the groundnut remains in the container. After this, the groundnut is allowed to cool before storage in an airtight container. 

If the groundnut does not dry completely and free from moisture before it is poured into the soil for roasting, it can trap soil particles and will make chewing it difficult.

Roasted groundnut. Before the groundnut is used, the scales is removing by just scrubbing the groundnut in between the palms and blowing it off with air.

Preparation method

The groundnut must first be crushed to break it down into very small pieces but this is done with everyone's preference in mind. Some break or grind the nut into very small particles but others too make it a bit large but this does not change anything after all. 

Ground groundnut ready to be used for candy

A pan is placed on heat and then sugar is poured into it. The sugar is stirred gently over the heat as it melts and must be allowed to turn brown before it is taken off the heat. The melted sugar in poured unto the crushed groundnut and it is mixed thoroughly to become cohesive or uniform. At this point, the mixture becomes sticky and in case the melted sugar exceeds the needed amount it will cause the candy to be a little soft but there is not problem. 

It will just need to be allowed to cool for some time as it hardens. My mum would use a glass bottle or rolling pin to flatten the ball into the desired thickness and it becomes easy to work with. A knife is used to cut the candy into the preferred size and length after it has hardened. 

Mostly, people produce it for sale in local markets and so they cut it into sizes according to the price of each bar. The shape of the candy actually varies as some would make it look triangular and others too like a ball. It does not matter the shape because consumers love it however the shape.

Groundnut candy also called luga

Shelf life and storage

The definite number of days it can stay healthy to eat is not a certainty but probably for some weeks. To keep it in good shape, it must be stored in an air-tight container to prevent air from reaching it. With this it can be kept safe and intact to grasp anytime and enjoy.

How is it enjoyed?

Most often individual households rarely make it either because the production process is not known or there isn't time to prepare even though it takes only a few minutes to get it done. It is consumed solely without the addition of any drink or whatsoever but the consumer and try with something, who knows how well that will be to enjoy?