Efo Riro (Nigerian Spinach Stew) is one of the traditional stew associated with Yoruba people/culture but it is widely prepared by all/most of the tribes in Nigeria. It is served at the parties, small gatherings, and most homes. It is a very delicious meal if prepared correctly, it is made with different type of vegetables and proteins, I used spinach with tripe and beef (skin on), you don’t have to use same proteins I used, you can use any protein of your choice. You can eat efo riro by itself, with amala, pounded yam, rice, plantains, and the list goes on. I made a post about efo riro a while ago I used two types of vegetables, you might want to check it out Spinach and Kale Soup (Efo riro; Vegetable Soup)
Let’s get started!
- 24 Ounces Spinach
- 2 Big Red bell peppers
- 4 Habanero/rodo
- 1.5 Onions (divided)
- 1 Cup Dried shrimps/prawns
- 1/2 Cup Dried fish
- 1 Tablespoon Ground crayfish
- Assorted meats
- Locust beans/ iru
- Palm oil
- Knorr bouillon powder/cube
- Salt to taste
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Remove the stem of the peppers, clean a half of the onion and blend together.
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You can use pre-boiled meats or boil your meats with onion, knorr, salt and any seasonings of your choice. Boil until the meats soften.
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Place a saucepan/pot over medium-high heat, pour the pepper mixture and boil until thickens.
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Clean the dried fish and dried prawn/shrimps (separately) by soaking in hot water and salt for a couple of minutes. Rinse out and set aside.
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After the meats are done you can roast them slightly or cook as is. I roasted the beef but not the tripe.
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Clean the locust beans/iru by rinsing with water. If you're using a frozen spinach thaw and squeeze out the excess water if you're using fresh spinach wash with water and blanch to get rid of the excess liquid.
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Place a large saucepan/pot over medium-high heat and pour the palm oil and allow to get hot. Don't bleach but let the oil gets hot enough to make sizzling sounds. You can use as little/as much oil as you want.
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Add the washed iru and fry for a few seconds, oh my...the smell of frying iru is heavenly!
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Chop/slice the remaining onion and add to the frying locust beans. Stir and continue to fry together for a couple of seconds.
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Add the ground crayfish and stir. Don't fry the ground crayfish first because it might burn before you finish frying other ingredients.
I used a frying pan for this step because I didn't want to scoop out the pepper mixture and also the pot was big enough for the cooking.
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Pour the oil over the pepper or add the pepper to the oil and stir.
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Add the dried fish and the dried shrimps/ prawns and stir together.
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Add the meats and mix to combine. If the pepper mixture is too thick add a small quantity of broth/water to allow the meats to absorb the pepper. Leave to cook for about 3-5 minutes.
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Add the knorr and salt then mix.
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Add the spinach to the mixture and mix thoroughly.
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Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly. Leave to simmer for about 2 minutes.
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Serve with your favorite side.
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Enjoy!
Note:
You can use any type of protein you like, adjust the spice to your preference.