How to make Awiesu

The name 'Awiesu' is a Twi word that translates as 'Eat and cry'. The first time I came across this food was in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and specifically in Konongo. The thing that attracted me to this food was the way groundnuts were put inside of the food and as it was being sold, it looked so conspicuous. From that time, I decided to give it a try anytime I happened to see it anywhere and because luck was on my side, I met a woman selling the products somewhere that I purchased. 

The taste was amazing but that was not all I wanted, I also wanted to know how exactly it was prepared and so many inquiries were made which turned our successful.  Due to my desire to explore what there is about the food, anytime I happened to come across it, I did the job of purchasing some to have a much more deeper taste of it. 

Why the name 'awiesu'? 

Well, in a conversation with a friend I made in Kumasi who happened to be a native of Kumasi, he couldn't tell me the reason but then I came up with this funny explanation. [Children as they accompany their parents, especially the mother to the market and she buys this product for them, they will finish eating and once they have finished eating, they will begin to cry. They will cry wanting more because of how nice it is so maybe that is why this name was put on the product.] It was a funny interaction trying to find the root or what it is that necessitated the adoption of such a name for this food product made in Ghana. 

Ingredients

• Corn flour
• Groundnut
• Sugar
• Salt

The process

Prepare porridge using corn flour.

To prepare the porridge, a small portion of the corn flour is mixed with water and poured into boiling water on fire. Salt and sugar must be added to the water even before it starts to boil.

The porridge is then used to prepare akple.

Learn more about how to prepare corn flour porridge.

 The banku then is poured into a bowl wide enough and allowed to cool. Corn flour or powder is added bit by bit to mix into a thick but malleable dough. After finishing with the mixing, half of the work is completed and then the next phase begins.

 The dough is taken in small small balls and pressed inside one hand as shown in the image below. This product does not take any special form or shape and so that is how it is created.

The shaped dough with groundnut inserted and ready for frying

The groundnut used has to be a raw groundnut and normally the covering is removed by just rubbing it in between the palms. The groundnuts are picked one by one and inserted into the shaped dough. The quantity inserted depends on the person preparing the products. This product is made and sold in market spaces and mostly the groundnuts aren't inserted so much.

The next thing to complete the process is that the almost ready products are deep fried until they turn deep brown. The frying is done over a moderate heat because with excess heat, the frying will not be properly done and this may reduce the number of days the products can stay intact without getting spoilt or slimy.

After frying, it is consumed like that but can also be enjoyed as a snack with an indigenous drink that sobolo, asana and more.