Nkwobi (Spicy Cow Feet) is a delicious, popular Nigerian dish made from cow feet, usually enjoyed as a special treat. This rich and flavorful dish is a favorite during social gatherings and celebrations.
❤️ Why you’ll love it
Nkwobi is a popular Nigerian dish made from spicy cow feet. This delicacy is served at many restaurants and beer parlors, especially among the Ibo tribe of Nigeria. With this recipe, you won’t need to go to a Nigerian restaurant to enjoy this dish, you can make it at home instead!
What makes this meal stand out is the flavorful sauce in which the meat is cooked. With calabash nutmeg, ground crayfish, cayenne pepper, and several other spices, this spicy cow feet recipe is anything but bland.
🥘 Equipment Used
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This nkwobi does not use any special equipment but is usually served in wooden bowls. I get these bowls from Amazon that look just like the traditional serving bowls.
🧾 Ingredients Used
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- Cow feet: You can easily get cow feet from a butcher or African market. Sometimes, you can find it in a Mexican meat market in the U.S. Make sure the cow leg is already chopped up into smaller pieces. Most butchers will do this for you.
- Red onions: These add color and flavor to this spicy Nigerian dish.
- Spices: For this recipe, you’ll need ground Ehuru (also known as calabash nutmeg), Ugba (fermented African oil bean seed), ground crayfish, cayenne pepper, bouillon powder, black pepper, and salt. You can find ground Ehuru and Ugba in your local African grocery store.
- Baking soda: This ingredient thickens the sauce. While the traditional recipe uses potash as a thickener, I use baking soda since I always have some in my house.
- Garnish: Utazi leaves are the traditional garnish for nkwobi, but you can also use spinach or kale.
🔪 How To Make Nkwobi
Boil the Meat:
- Add the cow feet to a pot and add enough water to cover it.
- Add bouillon powder, black pepper, onions, and salt.
- Boil for 1 hour or until fork tender. Keep an eye on the cow feet and add water to the pot if it gets too low.
- Alternatively, cook in a pressure cooker for 20 mins.
- When the meat is done, take it out and let it cool down a bit.
- Slice the meat off the bone and cut it into smaller pieces. You can also add smaller pieces of bone if you want to, but the majority of the bones should be discarded or used to make cow feet soup or bone broth.
Make the Nkwobi:
- Pour palm oil into a small bowl.
- In another small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of water, then mix together.
- Pour the mixture into the palm oil and stir until you notice the palm oil curdling and turning yellow. It should have a paste-like consistency.
- Pour the curdled palm oil into a large pot on low heat.
- Add the Ehuru (calabash nutmeg), bouillon powder, Ugba, ground crayfish, and cayenne pepper, then stir.
- Add the chopped cow feet to the pot and stir everything together.
- Simmer for about five minutes or until the cow leg is heated through.
- Cut the Utazi leaves into thin slices.
- Garnish your Nkwobi with the sliced Utazi leaves and sliced onion rings.
- Serve in a wooden bowl, and enjoy!
🥫 Storing and Reheating
Allow the nkwobi to cool to room temperature before storing. This helps prevent condensation inside the storage container, which can affect texture. It should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4 – 5 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze the nkwobi. Place it in a freezer-safe container or resealable freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 2-3 months, but make sure it’s well-sealed to avoid freezer burn.
This spicy Nigerian dish can be reheated in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating. If the sauce has thickened too much during storage, add a small amount of water or broth to help return it to its original consistency. You can also reheat in the microwave for about 1 or 2 minutes.
💭 Recipe Tips
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. You don’t need to add salt to this dish because the ingredients already contain some salt. But you can add a little if you need to.
- If the sauce becomes too thick after cooking, add a bit of beef broth or water to reach your desired consistency.
- Make sure the cow feet are fresh or properly thawed if frozen. Fresh cow feet will have a better texture and flavor.
- If you like even more heat, add some Scotch bonnet, habanero pepper, or some more cayenne pepper.
🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?
Nkwobi is traditionally served with fufu dishes like pounded yam, eba (cassava dough), or ugali (maize porridge).
For those on a low-carb diet, enjoy some nkwobi with low-carb fufu or rice dish.
👩🍳 Frequently asked questions
In English, nkwobi means “spicy cow’s foot.”
Nkwobi and Isi Ewu are similar southeastern Nigeria dishes. However, Nkwobi is made from cow’s feet, while Isi Ewu is made from goat head.
The Ibos of Nigeria usually make nkwobi from cow’s feet, but they also use meats like goat meat, turkey, chicken, cow tail, and bush meat.
📖 Recipe
Nkwobi (Spicy Cow Feet)
Nkwobi (Spicy Cow Feet) is a delicious, popular Nigerian dish made from cow feet and usually enjoyed as a special treat. This rich and flavorful dish is a favorite during social gatherings and celebrations.
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Servings:8
Calories:554kcal
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Instructions
Boil the Meat:
Add the cow feet to a pot and add enough water to cover it.
4 lbs cow feet
Add bouillon powder,black pepper,onions,and salt.
1 teaspoon bouillon powder,½ teaspoon black pepper,1 teaspoon salt,½ onion
Boil for 1 hour or until fork tender. Keep an eye on the cow feet and add water to the pan if it gets too low.
Alternatively,cook in a pressure cooker for 20 mins.
When the meat is done,take it out and let it cool down a bit.
Slice the meat off the bone and cut it into smaller pieces. You can also add smaller pieces of bone if you want to.
Make the Nkwobi:
Pour palm oil into a small bowl.
½ cup palm oil
In another small bowl,add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of water,then mix together.
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pour the mixture into the palm oil and stir until you notice the palm oil curdling and turning yellow. It should have a paste-like consistency.
Pour the curdled palm oil into a large pot on low heat.
Add the Ehuru (calabash nutmeg),bouillon powder,Ugba,ground crayfish,and cayenne pepper,then stir.
1 teaspoon ground ehuru,1 cup ugba,2 tablespoon ground crayfish,2 tablespoon bouillon powder,2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Add the chopped cow feet to the pot and stir everything together.
Simmer for about five minutes or until the cow leg is heated through.
Cut the Utazi leaves into thin slices.
2 tablespoon utazi leaves
Garnish your Nkwobi with the sliced Utazi leaves and sliced onion rings.
½ red onion
Serve in a wooden bowl,and enjoy!
Notes
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. You don’t need to add salt to this dish because the ingredients already contain some salt. But you can add a little if you need to.
- If the sauce becomes too thick after cooking,add a bit of beef broth or water to reach your desired consistency.
- Make sure the cow feet are fresh or properly thawed if frozen. Fresh cow feet will have a better texture and flavor.
- If you like even more heat,add some Scotch bonnet,habanero pepper,or some more cayenne pepper.
Nutrition
Calories:554kcal| Carbohydrates:3g| Protein:31g| Fat:51g| Saturated Fat:0.1g| Polyunsaturated Fat:0.01g| Monounsaturated Fat:0.1g| Cholesterol:0.1mg| Sodium:818mg| Potassium:22mg| Fiber:1g| Sugar:0.5g| Vitamin A:1IU| Calcium:2mg| Iron:0.03mg