Kontomire Stew

Method

1. Put the eggs in a pot, cover with cold water and boil on medium-high heat for 10 min, then cool in cold water and peel.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   medium-high heat

2. Wash the kontomire leaves several times and strip the skin off the thick stems (pull it from the end) or cut them off. Put about 3 cm of water in a 20 cm pot, add the leaves and boil on medium heat for 15 min until completely soft. Kontomire must be fully cooked or it will make your throat itch (spinach needs only 2 minutes). Drain, let cool, squeeze out the water firmly and chop finely.

   Add in this stepKontomire (cocoyam leaves) or spinach 400 g

   medium heat

3. In a small bowl, mix the ground egusi with the water into a thick paste that holds its shape on a spoon.

   Add in this stepGround egusi (agushi, melon seeds) 60 gWater 60 ml

4. Warm the palm oil in a 24 cm frying pan on medium-low heat; don't let it get hot enough to smoke. Add the chopped onion and grated ginger and fry for 5 min, until the onion is translucent.

   Add in this stepRed palm oil 3 tbspOnion 1Fresh ginger 8 g

   medium-low heat

5. Add the blended or finely chopped tomatoes and pepper, the salt and the crumbled stock cube, and cook on medium heat for 10 min, stirring. The tomatoes are done when the sauce is thick and red oil pools at the edges.

   Add in this stepMedium tomatoes 2Scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero) 1Salt ½ tspStock cube ½

   medium heat

6. Drop small spoonfuls of the egusi paste all over the sauce and leave it on medium-low heat for 5 min without stirring. When the egusi has set into fluffy curds like scrambled egg, break it gently into large pieces with a spatula.

   medium-low heat

7. Add the smoked fish (skin and bones removed) and the chopped leaves, fold gently and simmer on low heat for 5 min so the flavours come together. Taste and add more salt if needed.

   Add in this stepSmoked mackerel (or koobi or other salted or smoked fish) 120 g

   low heat

8. Halve the boiled eggs and lay them on top of the stew. Serve warm with boiled yam, plantain (ampesi) or rice.