GHANAIAN SPINACH STEW WITH SWEET PLANTAINS
This recipe is an adaptation of the smoky spinach stew served at Papaye, Samuel Obeng's restaurant in the Bronx. Built on a base of onions and ginger sauteed in palm oil, made fiery with habanero, and thickened with ground pumpkin seeds and tomatoes, the stew calls for African smoked, dried shrimp powder; its flavor is amazing. (Asian versions are typically unsmoked and chewier.) But smoked paprika and fish sauce make a serviceable substitute.
Provided by Francis Lam
Categories dinner, lunch, main course
Time 1h10m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a Dutch oven, warm the palm oil over medium heat, and add the onions, garlic, ginger, chile and a couple pinches of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown and sweet, about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and a few generous pinches of salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and partly cover the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has cooked to a rich tomato-soup consistency, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pulse the egusi or pumpkin seeds in a food processor or blender to a fine powder, until it just starts to get clumpy. (Do not overprocess into a butter.) Remove to a bowl.
- When the tomatoes have reduced, add the shrimp powder (or smoked paprika and fish sauce to taste), and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, to the bowl of egusi powder until it is a loose paste. Add the egusi paste on top of the tomato sauce, and spread it out. Cover the pan, and cook 5 minutes.
- Stir the sauce all together; it will look like a thick porridge. Add a few splashes of water, and increase heat to a boil. Stir in the spinach, until wilted and tender. Taste, season with salt (or more fish sauce, if using) and serve with boiled sweet plantains.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 431, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 45 grams, Fat 27 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 994 milligrams, Sugar 21 grams, TransFat 0 grams
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Main Sufyan
[email protected]This stew was easy to make and it turned out great! The flavors were delicious and the plantains were a nice touch. I would definitely recommend this recipe to others.
Tanya Tylene
[email protected]I made this stew for a party and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it and I got several requests for the recipe. I will definitely be making this again.
Meerab niazi official
[email protected]This stew was delicious! I made it for my family and they all loved it. The flavors were perfect and the plantains were a great addition. I will definitely be making this again.
Naseer Ullah
[email protected]I'm not a huge fan of spinach, but this stew was amazing! The flavors were so well-balanced and the plantains were the perfect side dish. I will definitely be making this again.
Kalid Hassan
[email protected]This was a great recipe! I followed it exactly and it turned out perfect. The stew was flavorful and the plantains were sweet and delicious. I would definitely recommend this recipe to others.
Killer22 Ninj
[email protected]I made this stew last night and it was a hit! My family loved it. The flavors were amazing and the plantains were the perfect side dish. I will definitely be making this again.
Swae Magomed
[email protected]This Ghanaian spinach stew was delicious! The combination of flavors was perfect, and the plantains were a great addition. I will definitely be making this again.