Kuli-Kuli: crunchy peanuts snacks from Nigeria

2 min read

3 years ago Ivan

We are in Nigeria.
Kuli-kuli is a popular local snack made from crushed peanuts, a popular crop in several West African countries.
High in protein and fat, groundnut-based foods such as kuli-kuli provide an inexpensive option for a quick and satiating snack.
Kuli-kuli originated in Northern Nigeria, but is now widely enjoyed throughout the country and across Benin, Northern Cameroon, and Ghana.
Often referred to as groundnut cakes or groundnut chips, the snacks come in an array of shapes and sizes, from round balls, square flat shapes, cylindrical shapes or spiraled cones.

The process of making kuli-kuli can be labor-intensive, especially for those not using heavy-duty machinery.
After the peanuts have been dry-roasted, they must be stone-ground, milled, or blended into a paste called Labu and mixed with spices, salt, ginger, chicken bouillon, garlic and sometimes ground pepper. The paste is further stripped of excess oil and made into the desired shape. The oil removed in this process is then heated and used to fry the shaped peanut paste until it solidifies.

Diners eat kuli-kuli plain, topped with a bit of sugar, or crushed and mixed into other dishes such as soaked garri (a powdery mixture often based on grain or maize) or soup, especially the sour tasting South West garri popularly called Ijebu Garri. Sugar, milk and water are mixed together as “garri soakings” and taken alongside the snack.
Similarly, some people eat kuli–kuli with kooko, that is watery pap, fura and is sometimes ground and put into salad, but it is often ground into powder and used as an ingredient for other dishes called Suya and Kilishi.
It can also be used as a flavorful topping for salads or yogurt, and some kuli-kuli fans even add it into smoothies.
But no matter the shape, its flavor and crunch is very beloved among those who try it.