The creamy, palm oil-based emulsion that wraps gelatinous cowlegs, goat flesh, or “biscuit bone,” which is consumed during beer parlour chill times, is called Ncha, or Nkwobi Sauce. It is velvety smooth.
Alongside it was steaming hot cooked yam. Periodically, I would dream about that sauce, and every time my friends and I would go down to have a hot plate of Nkwobi, I would always think of it as a treat.
As I dug further into the recipe for Nkwobi, I discovered that the sauce was actually called Ncha. Many dishes from the South East start with ncha. Using Ncha sauce as a salad dressing is another common application for the sauce.
Usually, potash is added to the Ncha sauce to aid in the emulsification process. Some folks even use baking soda or the scorched skin of plantains. Even though Ncha is served with hot or warm cuisine, I like to think of it as a salad dressing. On the other hand, the sauce loses consistency when heated directly. Savour this easy-to-make Ncha Sauce dish and feel free to experiment with it.
RECIPE FOR NCHA SAUCE
Ingredients
1/2 cup Palmoil
2 tsps Potash (Mix with 1/4 cup Water, Dissolve and Sieve)
1 tsp Ehuru Powder
1 tsp Seasoning powder
2.25 tsps Crayfish Powder
Scotch Bonnet – To your liking
1 tablespoon Ugba
1 tablespoon chopped scent leaf
1 Tablespoon of chopped Onions
Salt to your taste as well
Technique
Place your onions, scotch bonnet, crayfish, ehuru, and seasoning powder in a bowl with your palm oil.
After dissolving your potash in water, strain it.
Once your sauce is emulsified, gradually add the potash mixture to the palm oil mixture while stirring constantly.
At this stage, you can add your ugba and fragrance leaves or basil and be ready to go.
Serve as a sauce for a sandwich, a salad dressing, or alongside your grilled meats.
