Efo Riro (Spinach Stew)

Name: Efo Riro (Spinach Stew)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs beef stew meat, cut into chunks; 6 oz smoked mackerel or smoked tilapia, flaked, bones removed; 1 lb fresh spinach (or frozen, thawed and squeezed), roughly chopped; 1/3 cup red palm oil; 2-3 scotch bonnet peppers (or habanero), roughly chopped; 4 roma tomatoes, quartered; 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped; 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped; 1/4 cup ground dried crayfish (or dried shrimp powder); 2 beef bouillon cube, crumbled; 1 tsp salt

A deeply savory Yoruba spinach stew cooked with palm oil, assorted meats, smoked fish, and ground crayfish - bold and hearty, typically eaten with pounded yam, amala, or white rice.

65 minMediumServes 6430 cal/serving

West AfricanDinnerStovetopStandardHigh ProteinLow CarbAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs beef stew meat, cut into chunks
6 oz smoked mackerel or smoked tilapia, flaked, bones removed
1 lb fresh spinach (or frozen, thawed and squeezed), roughly chopped
1/3 cup red palm oil
2-3 scotch bonnet peppers (or habanero), roughly chopped
4 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup ground dried crayfish (or dried shrimp powder)
2 beef bouillon cube, crumbled
1 tsp salt

Instructions

1

Season 1.5 lbs cut into chunks beef stew meat with 1 tsp salt and 2 crumbled beef bouillon cube. Cook covered in water over medium heat until tender, about 25 minutes. Reserve the broth.
2

Blend 4 quartered roma tomatoes, 2-3 roughly chopped scotch bonnet peppers (or habanero), 1 roughly chopped red bell pepper, and half the roughly chopped yellow onion into a rough paste.
3

Heat 1/3 cup red palm oil in a large pot over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in the blended pepper paste and fry, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes until darkened and oil floats to the top.
4

Add the cooked beef stew meat, 6 oz flaked, bones removed smoked mackerel or smoked tilapia, and 1/4 cup ground dried crayfish (or dried shrimp powder). Pour in about 1/2 cup reserved broth. Stir and cook 5 minutes.
5

Add 1 lb roughly chopped fresh spinach (or frozen, thawed and squeezed) and fold into the stew. Cook 5 more minutes until wilted and well incorporated. Taste and adjust salt.
6

Verify beef has reached at least 165°F (74°C). Serve with pounded yam, amala, or white rice.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The West African Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What temperature does Efo Riro (Spinach Stew) cook at?

Step 6 reads: "Verify beef has reached at least 165°F (74°C)."

What can I use instead of Scotch bonnet in Efo Riro (Spinach Stew)?

The entry for Efo Riro (Spinach Stew) calls for 2-3 scotch bonnet peppers (or habanero), roughly chopped. In its place: Habanero has the same heat and a similar fruitiness. For much less heat, use a jalapeno and a strip of orange bell pepper.

Can I use a different white fish instead of the smoked fish in Efo Riro (Spinach Stew)?

Yes. Any firm white fish of similar thickness works: cod, haddock, pollock and halibut are interchangeable here. Timing follows thickness, not species. As written, the entry for Efo Riro (Spinach Stew) uses 6 oz smoked mackerel or smoked tilapia, flaked, bones removed.

How hot is Efo Riro (Spinach Stew)?

Yes, it is properly hot. The heat in Efo Riro (Spinach Stew) comes from 2-3 scotch bonnet peppers (or habanero), roughly chopped. For a milder plate, remove the seeds and ribs from the peppers, or use half; nothing else in the method changes. For more, add it at the table rather than in the pot, so everyone sets their own level.

Does Efo Riro (Spinach Stew) contain fish?

Yes: 6 oz smoked mackerel or smoked tilapia, flaked, bones removed. The full allergen list for this entry is fish. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.