What is Molokoni (Cow Trotters Stew)?
Molokoni(Cow’s Trotters stew) is a stew made by boilingfeet of cattle. The Cows Trotters do not contain any meat or muscles, other than Bones, Toe hoof, skin, tendons and Cartilage.
To obtain a soft texture of the skin, tendon and Cartilage the Cow trotters cuts are cooked for at least 8 hours. This produces a rich broth from its bones which makes this stew a delicacy in Uganda.
Molokoni is a popular stew served in restaurants in Uganda. The stew is renowned for its healthy soup, with a remarkable taste and richness in Protein and Calcium. It can be eaten for lunch or dinner throughout the year.
The rich soup from the cow trotter’s bones is good for improving muscle strength, relieving joint pains and it helps to enhance the general body immunity making you healthy to fight ailments.
The word Molokoni originates from the Eastern part of Uganda where the Leg Stew is a delicacy. In the central part of Uganda, the stew is mostly calledKigere.
Molokoni is time-consuming to make both the traditional cleaning and roasting process before cooking and the cooking process itself. It is cooked over a steady flame for about 8 hours to a day, to allow the flavour to be extracted from bones, tendon, cartilage and skin.
Molokoni(Cow Trotters) Recipe
My Mom’s recipe is the ultimate molokoni that I will share with you today. It has both a traditional and modern touch to it from Pallisa District, located in the Eastern part of Uganda.
List of the Ingredients
2 Cow Trotters
A clay cooking pot
Salt
8 tomatoes
4 onions
3 carrots
2 garlic cloves
Water
How to make the ultimate Molokoni (Cow Trotters Stew) step by step
Step 1
Light a charcoal stove and maintain moderate heat on it. Then place awire mesh on top of it, ensuring that it is firmly proportional to the size of your charcoal stove to avoid any accidents.
Step 2
Place the cow legs on the wire mesh and roast them to remove the furs on them. Turn them over at every angle to ensure that the heat gets to all the hidden furs.
Step 3
When it is well-roasted scrape off the fur with a knife, this exposes a clean skin underneath. Now it is time to remove the hooves off. Using your knife make a curve along the side of the hooves, then push the knife downwards and peel the hoof off.
This is quite easier than what you might be imagining. You don’t need strength for this process. You can skip this step by buying already cleaned and chopped Cow legs from the butcheries around town but in the village, you will have to clean up and cut the legs for yourself. A process you can decide to do as well in your leisure time to enjoy the richness of healthy benefits from homemade molokoni
Step 4
Now your cow trotters are ready for cutting. You will need a sharp axe and a knife. Properly dice the trotters into small cuts. Wash them properly as you scrape with a Knife to remove burnt parts and remaining furs on the skin.
This process will need both energy and some cutting skills, remember you can buy already cut legs from the butchery.
Step 5
Place your cut pieces into the clay pot and fill it with water and start boiling the cow trotters. You will need moderate steady heat to boil the molokoni for at least 8 hours. A pressure cooker can be used instead of a clay pot.
Step 6
When your molokoni is well cooked, transfer it from the pot to a saucepan for seasoning. You may as well leave it in the original cooking pot.
Cut your ingredients and them to the boiling cow trotters stew in the saucepan and add salt to it. Let the stew and seasoning boil together for 20 minutes and then serve your molokoni.
Molokoni, (cow trotters) is mostly served with cassava in restaurants around Kampala, but it can be enjoyed with Kalo, posho, rice, matooke, all foods of your preference.
How to eat the molokoni (Cow Trotters)
Once the Cow Trotters are well cooked and prepared they are soft easy to eat. You can eat the skin, toe hoof, tendon and cartilage. These are quite tasty and chewy. The soup is always in abundance and most people like to drink it to their satisfaction. The bone marrow is another part you must never forget as you enjoy your molokoni. You can suck it out or hit the bone on your plate to expose the marrow.