World Food and Wine
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Efo riro (Vegetable stew)

A savory vegetable, fish and meat stew all the way from Nigeria.

Ingredients

1 kg greens (efo shoko, efo tete or spinach leaves, rinsed and blanched)
1 lb meat (diced meat, offal and tripe)
1⁄2 lb fish (dried fish, soaked)
1⁄2 lb crab (cooked crab meat, preferably claws)
4 snail (rinsed with lemon juice and shelled)
1⁄2 lb crayfish (ground crayfish)
1⁄2 lb chili pepper (fresh chili peppers, blended or pounded to a paste)
1 lb tomato (rinsed, diced and blended or pounded to a paste)
1 cn tomato (tomato purée)
2 onion (peeled, blended or pounded to a paste)
3⁄4 c cooking oil (palm oil)
1 t seasoning (optional, iru or fermented locust beans)
1 1⁄2 pt liquid (broth or water)
  salt (to taste)

Instructions

In a large pot we season the meats with salt and pepper, add water and bring to boil for 30 minutes.

Add the seafood except for the crayfish and the snails and cook for 10 more minutes.

Remove from heat and put the mixture aside.

Clean the pot with water then cover it in palm oil, which once hot, we add the tomatoes, chillies and onions to.

Stir frequently for 10 minutes then add the tomato paste for a further 5 minutes.

Return the meats to the pot simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the soko (or spinach) for 5 more minutes, check for seasoning and serve. 

Total time
1 hour, 15 minutes
Cooking time
65
Preparation time
10
Yield
4 servings

Notes

Substitute palm oil with groundnut (peanut) oil for a different flavor profile.

Variations

For a vegetarian efo riro, replace the meat, fish, and seafood with mushrooms, tofu, or a mix of vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots.

For a spicier dish, add more chili peppers or use a variety of very hot peppers like habanero or Scotch bonnet for extra heat.

For a protein-rich efo riro, add more types of protein, such as chicken, shrimp, or turkey, along with the traditional meat, fish and seafood.

Source

Nigerian cuisine

Efo shoko and efo tete are common greens in the nigerian markets. These can be substituted with spinach, amaranth leaves or with other green leafy vegetable.

Ground crayfish is a condiment similar to the Asian fish sauce.

Iru is a condiment made of processed locust beans. It can be found fresh or dried.

Nigerian recipes

challenging, one pot dish
vegetables, meat, fish
Nigerian food recipes
Food in the Africa