Efo riro - Nigerian Spinach Stew

Efo riro (Nigerian Spinach Stew) is a mouthwatering, savory, African stew made with 'Efo Shoko' (Lagos spinach) or 'Efo Tete' (African spinach). Who knew spinach could taste so good?

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Start by cooking whatever meat you decide to use. I prepared my goat meat by rinsing it over running water and boiling it with about a teaspoon of salt, bouillon, and black pepper. Let it boil until it is tender.

Step 2

Blend the tomatoes, red bell pepper, habanero pepper, and half of the onion together using a food processor. Chop up the other half of the onion and set it aside.

Step 3

If using fresh spinach, chop it up into smaller pieces and rinse in a colander, squeezing out as much water as you can. Leave it in the colander while you start cooking so that the excess water will drain out. (I like to use fresh spinach for this but frozen will work too. If using frozen, microwave for a few minutes till it begins to thaw out and drain the excess water.)

Step 4

Also, wash and drain the mushrooms (if using mushrooms).

Step 5

Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a pot on medium heat, add in your onions and stir for about 2 minutes. Add in your blended tomato and pepper mix and add in your spices after about a minute. You can use only 1 tsp of cayenne pepper if you want it less spicy

Step 6

I like plum tomatoes for this recipe because after blending, they are not too watery. If you use another type of tomatoes, you might need to pour the blended mixture into a pot and cook it separately till some of the water evaporates. Use medium heat or it will begin to splash everywhere.

Step 7

If using fresh spinach, add 1/4 cup of broth/stock. You can use water if you don't have any but will need to adjust the spices. If using frozen spinach, do not add any water as frozen spinach already contains water.

Step 8

Add the goat meat and mushrooms and any other meat of choice and let it cook for another 5 minutes so it can soak up the flavours

Step 9

When it begins to boil, add in the spinach. It will most likely fill the pot and look like it might spill over but it wouldn’t. Stir intermittently over a period of 5 minutes and the spinach will shrink considerably. Taste for salt and add more spices if you desire.

Step 10

I like mine just slightly chewy so I don’t leave it in for more than 5 minutes but if you like it softer, you can leave it for a few more minutes on low heat

↑Support creators by visiting their site 😊