By Yewande Komolafe
Updated Oct. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- 4(355)
- Notes
- Read community notes
A hard-boiled egg split slightly down the middle and stuffed with a chunky tomato relish, kosua ne meko is a quick Ghanaian snack sold by street vendors. Classic versions include hard-boiled eggs that have been cured by dredging them shell-on through dampened salt a day before. The relish, referred to as “raw pepper,” can taste different depending on the vendor, but it always has crushed tomatoes, red onions and chiles. For home cooks, this can be a simple dish made quickly (or ahead) to share broadly — at the beach, a picnic, an afternoon co*cktail party or a potluck brunch. An asanka, a small mortar and pestle with a rough interior, is used to prepare the raw pepper, but a food processor can also step in. Simply salting the egg before adding the relish, or after, can at least hint at the salt-dredging technique.
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Ingredients
Yield:12 eggs
- ¼ to 1whole red Scotch bonnet chile, stem and seeds removed
- 1(1-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and roughly chopped
- 1garlic clove
- Salt
- ½small red onion (about 3 ounces), or 2 small shallots
- 1small ripe plum tomato (about 3 ounces), seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 1dozen boiled eggs, peeled
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
71 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 5 grams protein; 144 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In the bowl of an asanka (or in a mortar with a rough finish inside the bowl), combine the Scotch bonnet, ginger, garlic and a pinch of salt, and crush to a rough paste, 1 minute.
Step
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Cut the onion half in half: Thinly slice one quarter and reserve. Roughly chop the remaining quarter and add to the asanka (or mortar). Crush into the chile paste, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and crush using the mortar. Salt the relish to taste. Stir in the sliced onions. You should have about 1 cup of the relish. (Alternatively, use a food processor to pulse the chile, ginger and garlic until coarsely chopped. Add the onion quarter or shallot, and chop. Add the tomato pieces and chop. Season with salt and stir in the sliced onions.)
Step
3
Slice along the length of each egg, just enough to open it up but without cutting all the way through. Season the insides with a pinch of salt. Carefully stuff each egg with about 1 tablespoon spicy relish. Arrange the eggs on a plate or serving platter, and serve immediately.
Tip
- To serve later, refrigerate the peeled eggs and the relish in separate sealed containers and make to order. You can also top the eggs with the relish and store refrigerated in a tightly sealed container until ready to eat. Store refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
Ratings
4
out of 5
355
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Cooking Notes
Carlo in CA
I had a little trouble assembling this as described without tearing or otherwise damaging the HB eggs, so I improvised in the most obvious way. I cut each egg in half a la deviled eggs, and removed the yolks. Then I mixed the tomato/chili paste and the egg yolks together, tasted, adjusted seasoning, then used the mix to stuff the half-eggs. Voila! You might not find these on the streets of Accra, but they were easy, artfully presentable, very flavorful, and much enjoyed by my guests.
MidwestProf
For those asking: Google “Ghana’s Kosua Ne Meko” — there’s an easily located YouTube video that demonstrates the salting technique.
Connie H.
I made these last night and we all loved them. I always try to follow a recipe the first time I make it--and I did--but I have a little hack:I cut a very thin slice off the bottom, THEN I stuffed it in the corner of the slit. This did two things 1) kept the eggs from rolling around on the plate and 2) held the egg open so it was easier to stuff.(We had a few left over, and ate them for breakfast! I am hosting a brunch in a few weeks, and I think these will be on the menu.)
McKlementine
Isn't a Scotch bonnet pepper REALLY hot? Can I use a different pepper instead?
Patti Travaglio
what is the method for pre-salting them? How long? how much and what kind of salt? this looks great!
Chris S.
Love this new recipe and look forward to making it as soon as I obtain a fresh chile to mix in with the fresh tomatoes and flavorings. I think it would be great to prepare a double batch of the relish, keep it in the fridge along with hardboiled eggs, and then just make up the finished eggs as desired for meals or snacks over several days. Am also thinking about wrapping individual finished eggs to place as a treat in lunch boxes -- what a game changer!
Maltiti
Have eaten these many times while traveling in Ghana, often while sitting on a tro tro (mini bus) waiting for all the seats to fill. I have also made this dish multiple times for picnics and use proportions very similar to this recipe. To the commenters confused by the directions, use some common sense. Cook the eggs enough the yolks don't run when cut in half, this is meant to be a finger food. Add small amounts of onion and pepper to start with, and adjust to your preferences accordingly.
Richard
“Scrubbed” ginger? Meaning it’s not meant to be peeled?
Bazz
Sadly, these were not a hit for us. I followed the instructions to a T using my mortar and pestle and the tomato relish turned out kind of watery and unexciting. The proportion of egg to relish overwhelmed the relish. I really, really wanted to love these but next time I’d probably chop up the egg and mix with the relish - egg salad style - to really meld the flavors.
Sweet and Salty
The salt dredging looks like a cool extra step (many videos on YouTube) but don't let it stop you from making this simple and absolutely delicious dish. The fruity flavor of the pepper against the sweetness of a ripe tomato with the sharpness of the onion, garlic and ginger... fabulous. So happy to have met this dish, plan to make it a regular part of my rotation.
Tom
The use of sweet bell pepper can get you close. Green is good for jalapeño.Since the habanero has a sweet, fruity element, try some red or orange bell peppers.The bell peppers are much thicker, so it’s better to mince them finely.
Botany Boy
Dried isn't the same as fresh but some brands of Aleppo pepper are very fruity without much heat. Ziyad is available near me and a heat-sensitive friend finds it tasty. I also think Valentina brand chili spice is milder than Tajin and more fruity with lots less salt.
Taylor in Seattle
super easy to make but 100% struggled with the egg assembly not opening the egg completely - recommend only cutting a slit not going end to end
Nico
So excited to see these! Of the many fond memories I have of Ghana (as visitor and guest), many are of the friendships/hospitality, and many of them are of the street food -- at truck/bus stops along the rural highways and on different blocks in each neighborhood. Each food had a different time of day -- scrambled eggs in the evening, boiled eggs all day, sweet grilled red plantains at night. The ginger is, as noted, an unusual addition, but why not? Scotch bonnets are certainly hot enough.
Molly in MA
Perfect recipe for what I have in the garden right now. I’m also fond of tomato and eggs for breakfast so this is going to stay in my repertoire. I used a jalapeño instead of scotch bonnet. Yum!
mmSF
This is delicious and so pretty to offer as an appetizer. I didn't have a scotch bonnet chili on hand, so I diced up some spicy kimchi to mix in instead. I did have some trouble keeping the eggs from completely splitting open when I stuffed them Next time I'll try a smaller slit, or just top the egg halves with the filling.
Doris
Amazing! Can‘t recall to ever have eaten so many eggs in such a short time - this relish is addictive…
Darcy Dennett
I used a habanero. Here's the thing about these kinds of "hot" peppers. They are far more flavorful than they are HOT. I would encourage anyone who's never experimented with these peppers to give them a try.
NJ
Sub’d hard-boiled with a 7 minute soft-boil & marinated the onions in apple cider vinegar, brown sugar & soy sauce to pickle them slightly- subbed the Scotch Bonnet with Cayenne - served 2 side by side in a shallow saucer alongside the “Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich” also found in the NYT Cooking App. Perfect combo for a flavorful lunch -served both with an endive & fresh peach salad dressed in 12-barrel aged balsamic vinegar. Suggest topping eggs w/ a little feta instead of salt dredge
ErikH in San Diego
I made these today exactly as written. Yes, it was spicy. Yes, it was amazing. My wife ate three eggs, and immediately asked me to make them again tomorrow. My favorite part was the habenero - they are fruity and full of heat. I can't think of a better chile pepper. 10/10
BXCook
These were incredible. I think using a food processor, as I did, liquified the ingredients a bit too much, and a less-than-perfectly ripe tomato didn't lend the sweetness or twang I think the recipe deserves. I added a tsp or so of tomato paste for some extra sweetness and to thicken the relish a bit, as well as a dash of white vinegar to add a bit more acid than my tomato could provide, and it was absolutely terrific. I'll skip it next time if I have access to a mortar and a perfect tomato.
Ferguson
I found the red onions too strong. They overpowered the other flavors. I might ignore tradition and use a sweeter onion. I couldn't find a scotch bonnet so I used a fresh cayenne pepper from the farmers' market and it worked just fine.
Cyral
Not sure how wide around a 1 inch piece of ginger is meant to be? However, my piece clearly is about 10x what my ginger-loving mouth can handle! Wow, if I make this again I’ll have to be very judicious about the ginger!
Deborah T
@Maltiti - "use some common sense"? We are all just giving it our best shot. I like to add some kindness.
Maureen
how do they dredge them in salt the day before?
Patti Travaglio
what is the method for pre-salting them? How long? how much and what kind of salt? this looks great!
Richard
“Scrubbed” ginger? Meaning it’s not meant to be peeled?
Bay Area cook
Delicious and funI used one Serrano chili. And just halved the eggs and topped them with the sauce so they would be easier to eat
Taylor in Seattle
super easy to make but 100% struggled with the egg assembly not opening the egg completely - recommend only cutting a slit not going end to end
Maggie Bee
When I read the article about this recipe, I was excited to make it -- but was disappointed when I saw the raw garlic in the ingredients. Neither my husband nor I can eat raw garlic, and even roasted and frozen garlic can be a problem. I was surprised (and pleased) to find that the original recipe does not call for garlic at all: "A classic raw pepper has tomatoes, red onions, a chile and a little salt. This version, similar to Ms. Gilbert’s, adds ginger and garlic to those ingredients."
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