Ingredients
Greens
- 1 kgcocoyam leaves, kontomire, or taro leaves
- or spinach, as a substitute
Egusi
- 150 gegusi, ground melon seeds
Base
- 2onions, chopped
- 4tomatoes
- 2scotch bonnet peppers
- 4 clovesgarlic
- a thumb of ginger
- 150 mlred palm oil
Protein
- 200 gsmoked fish, flaked
- 100 gdried shrimp or koobi, salted fish
- 2boiled eggs per person, optional
To serve
- boiled yam
- plantain
- rice
- or ampesi
Directions
- Strip the leaves from the thick stems and discard the stems, or peel and slice them separately. Wash the leaves thoroughly in several changes of water. Now boil them in plenty of water for at least fifteen to twenty minutes.
- Boil them uncovered rather than covered, which is traditional and lets the volatile compounds escape. Drain them and discard that water, which carries away much of the oxalate.
- Squeeze them thoroughly, since waterlogged greens make a watery stew. If you cannot get cocoyam leaves, spinach is the usual substitute and needs none of this treatment, though the flavour is different and milder.
- Mix the ground egusi with a little water into a thick paste before it goes into the pot. Egusi added dry to hot oil clumps into hard lumps that never break down, which is the commonest fault. Heat it gently rather than to smoking point. Do not let palm oil smoke and darken, which destroys both its colour and its flavour and gives a harsh taste.
- Fry the chopped onion in the palm oil until softened. Blend the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and ginger and add them to the pot. Cook the blended base for ten to fifteen minutes until it thickens and the oil begins to separate and rise.
- Cook it for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring regularly. Egusi needs real cooking time to lose its raw taste, and undercooked it is pasty and slightly bitter. Flake it and check carefully for bones as you add it.
- Simmer everything together for a further fifteen to twenty minutes. The stew should end up thick, dark green flecked with orange oil, and holding its shape on a spoon. Taste and season firmly with salt. Add halved boiled eggs on top, which is traditional and very common. Serve it over boiled yam, plantain or cocoyam, which together are called ampesi.
Technique
- Cocoyam leaves must be boiled thoroughly to break down calcium oxalate.
- Egusi is mixed to a paste first or it forms hard lumps.
- Smoked fish is a defining flavour rather than just a protein.
Substitutions
- Spinach in place of cocoyam leaves, which is milder.
- Ground pumpkin seeds if egusi cannot be found, though the flavour differs.
Variations
- Made with beef or goat as well as fish.
- Without egusi, as a plainer kontomire.
- Nkontomire abomu, a lighter version with less oil.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kontomire stew?
Kontomire stew is a soup & stew from Ghana: cocoyam-leaf palava stew with egusi seeds and smoked fish.
How long does Kontomire stew take to make?
Kontomire stew takes 30 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Kontomire stew?
Yes, within limits. Spinach in place of cocoyam leaves, which is milder. Ground pumpkin seeds if egusi cannot be found, though the flavour differs.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kontomire stew?
Boil them uncovered rather than covered, which is traditional and lets the volatile compounds escape. Drain them and discard that water, which carries away much of the oxalate.
