Dek Ngoo (Pigeon Peas with Peanut Butter)
Photo: Pamela Ayot, CC BY-SA 4.0
Dek ngoo is a thick pigeon pea and peanut butter soup from Gulu in northern Uganda. The cook simmers split peas in their own soaking water, so none of the flavor is thrown away, then stirs in peanut butter until the pot is as thick as you like. Magadi, a rock salt, gives it a distinct mineral edge. Serve it as a soup, or scoop it up with posho, millet bread or sweet potatoes.
Instructions
Soak the split pigeon peas in 1.5 L of warm water for 1 hour. They are ready when they look plump and soft and the skins on some of them are starting to come away.
Strain the soaking water into a saucepan, keeping it because much of the flavor is in it, and set it on the stove to come to a boil.
Rinse the soaked peas and remove the skins. The skins float, so they are easy to lift off the water.
Add the peas to the pot of boiling water along with the salt and the magadi. Boil until the peas are mushy, ladling off the froth that rises to the surface as they cook.
Once the peas are mushy, add peanut butter and mix it in. A hand blender works quickly and is easier on the arm than the traditional ugwech, a wooden mixing tool. The peanut butter thickens the soup, so add it to suit your taste and the texture you want.
If the mixture turns out too thick, stir in some hot water to loosen it. Serve with posho (ugali), millet bread (kalo) or sweet potatoes (layata), or eat it as a dip.
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