Ghana | Side

Omo Tuo

Ghanaian rice balls cooked very soft, beaten smooth, and served with groundnut soup or palm nut soup.

Country
Ghana
Region
West Africa
Time
45 min
Serves
6
Level
easy
Start cooking Explore Ghana recipes
01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to methodMy cookbook

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Ghana
4 steps 5 min prep 40 min cook (check method) 45 min total easy
1
Cook rice soft
Boil rice with extra water until very soft and slightly overcooked.
soft rice 25:00
2
Beat rice
Lower the heat and beat the rice firmly with a wooden spoon until sticky and smooth.
beat 10:00
3
Shape
Use wet hands or a wet bowl to shape the rice into smooth balls.
shape 05:00
4
Serve with soup
Serve hot with groundnut soup or palm nut soup.
serve 01:00

Some cooks use broken rice, some use long-grain rice cooked with extra water, and ball size changes by household.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas
Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for Sunday groundnut soup, palm nut soup, and family lunch.. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 45 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Nkate nkwan, palm nut soup, chicken, goat, or fish.

Regional lane

Soups, stews, and swallow table. Groundnut, greens, fish, palm oil, and fufu-friendly bowls.

Chef watch-outs
  • Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
  • Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
How you know it is ready
  • The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Pantry lane

shito, palm oil, sorghum leaves, fermented corn dough, groundnut

Recipe illustrations

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Illustration of Omo Tuo: two soft rice balls served in groundnut soup.
Omo Tuo finished dish · AI-generated illustration
Chef board

Build the table around Omo Tuo

Nkate nkwan, palm nut soup, chicken, goat, or fish.

Best route from here

Soups, stews, and swallow table

Collections to keep cooking
Explore Ghana recipes
Explore more recipes
Keep exploring

Cook around Omo Tuo

Find a side dish or your next recipe from the same country or collection.

Ghanaian Jollof Rice recipe from Ghana Ghana Main dish Ghanaian Jollof Rice Ghanaian jollof rice with basmati rice steamed in a reduced tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, chile, and bay-leaf stew. Time80 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyMedium DietGluten Free RegionWest Africa Open recipe Groundnut Soup recipe from Ghana Ghana Soup Groundnut Soup Ghanaian groundnut soup with chicken, peanut paste, tomato, ginger, chile, and a silky broth for fufu or rice balls. Time65 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyMedium DietGluten Free RegionWest Africa Open recipe Kelewele recipe from Ghana Ghana Snack Kelewele Ghanaian ripe plantain cubes marinated with ginger, garlic, chile, cloves, nutmeg, and salt, then fried until caramelized. Time25 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyEasy DietVegan RegionWest Africa Open recipe Banku and Tilapia recipe from Ghana Ghana Main dish Banku and Tilapia A Ghanaian plate of smooth fermented corn and cassava dough served with seasoned grilled tilapia and pepper sauce. Time70 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyMedium DietDairy Free RegionWest Africa Open recipe
Browse AfroKitchen Explore Ghana recipes