SPINACH, EGG & EGUSI STEW

In my previous recipe I shared Mums Egg and Egusi stew recipe. A must try recipe that’s packed with flavours and nutrients. 

Using the leftover of the Egusi and Egg stew I made this classic Egusi and Spinach stew.

Enjoy this with either boiled Plantain, Yam or Rice.

INGREDIENTS 

400g of wilted Spinach

1 large Banana Shallots 

1 Habanero Chilli 

4 tablespoonful of Palm Oil / Zomi

1 tinned Sardines in Tomatoes sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

SPICE BLEND RECIPES 

Watch how to prepare this classic Spinach and Egusi stew below;

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How to cook the tastiest Eggs and Melon seeds stew

Sharing one of my Mum’s classic nutrient packed recipe. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS 

300g of blended Melon seeds/ Egusi 

4 tablespoonfuls of Coconut Oil

3 large Banana Shallots or 2 large Onions

1 Habanero Chilli

1 tablespoonful of Shrimp Powder 

350g of Smoked Haddock 

300g of Smoked Mackerel 

6 Eggs

300g of Cherry Tomatoes or any Tomatoes you have available 

1 tablespoonful of smoked Paprika 

Salt and Black Peppercorns to taste

GARNISHES 

2 sliced large Onions 

40g of chopped Spring Onions 

Optional Golden Blush Tomatoes 

SPICE BLEND

30g of Ginger 

1 large Onion 

3 cloves of Garlic 

1 teaspoonful of Aniseed 

4 Allspice pods

4 Green Chillies 

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this quick and healthy Eggs and Melon seeds stew below;

Please don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave comments with your feedback and share.

 All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog. 

SPINACH & MELON SEEDS (EGUSI)

'Kontomire'(Cocoyam leaves)and Egusi (Melon seeds) stew are staples in most Ghanaian homes and can be made with meat, shellfish and fish. It's best served with boiled Yam, Cocoyam, Plantain, Cassava or steamed rice. I've substituted the Cocoyam leaves for Spinach. 

Ingredients:

Serves 8

2 bags of Spinach (2 bundles of Cocoyam leaves, washed and chopped roughly)

1 large onion cut lengthways

1 Habenero pepper /10 Kpakpo shito (Popular Ghanaian chillies)

4 large diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons of Palm oil

2 large size smoked Mackerel (remove the skin, bones, head and discard)

2 perfectly ripened oily Avocado cut into chunks.

1 teaspoon of grated ginger.

2 litres of water

Half a teaspoon of salt.

125g of ground Egusi (Melon seeds)

Method: 

Place a saucepan on a medium heat and add the Palm oil

Once the oil melts, add the onion and fry gently for about 1 minute. 

Then add the chillies and fry for a further minute. 

Add the ginger and fry for 30 sec

Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes (stir the sauce to prevent it from burning).

Then add the Mackerel to the sauce and cook for a further 3 minutes. 

In a separate bowl add 200ml of water to the Egusi (Melon Seeds) and mix till you have a double cream consistency. 

At this stage reduce the temperate to a low heat and add the Egusi sauce. 

Cover this  and allow the sauce to steam the Egusi for about 5 minutes. 

Take care in stirring the sauce as you don't want to break the Mackerel into tiny pieces. 

On a high heat boil the Cocoyam leaves for about 8 minutes or if you're using Spinach leaves, just blanch them for 30 seconds.

To blanch spinach;

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. 

Take the saucepan off the heat and add the washed spinach. 

Mix it thoroughly for 30 seconds (till the spinach wilts).

Drain the spinach into a colander and run it under cold water, (this stops the spinach from cooking further and maintains it's green colour).

Make sure you squeeze any excess water out of the Spinach. 

Using an earthen ware pot or a food processor add the spinach, some chillies from the sauce (if using Kpakpo Shinto) and blend/grind to a smooth paste.

The traditional earthen ware clay mortar with it's wooden pestle.

Add the Spinach to the sauce and mix together evenly, still taking care not to break the Mackerel into pieces. 

Cook for a further 2 minutes and turn off the heat.

Serve with either boiled Yam,Cocoyam, Plantain, Cassava or steamed rice and Avocado. 

Best with homemade pineapple and ginger juice. Enjoy! All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

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Kontomire in an earthen clay mortar

'Kontomire' stew which is made out of Cocoyam leaves (Ghanaian Spinach) is a popular dish in Ghana and it's eaten with either boiled Yam, Plantain, Cocoyam, Rice etc. 

In this recipe I substituted the Cocoyam leaves for Spinach from the supermarket with a bit of a twist. 

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 bag of spinach, washed thoroughly with salt under cold water.

1 diced large onion

2 diced green chillies

1 tablespoon of Palm oil

2 large tomatoes chopped into cubes

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of roasted pine nuts/ crushed peanuts

1 litre of water. 

Method;

In a saucepan heat the water till it boils. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the washed spinach. 

Mix it thoroughly till you see the spinach wilt and shrink into a small amount. This process takes about 2 minutes. 

Drain the spinach into a colander and run it under cold water, (this stops the spinach from over cooking and maintains it's green colour). Make sure you squeeze any excess water out of the Spinach. 

Using an earthern clay pot mortar (if not use your food processor and blitz) add half your onion, green chillies and salt and grind till you have a smooth paste. 

Add the wilted spinach and grind till you have a smooth paste. 

Save yourself some washing by using the same saucepan as before. 

Place your saucepan on a medium heat and melt the palm oil. 

Once melted add the remaining half of the onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining chillies and fry for a further minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes. The cubed tomatoes should just heat up and not over cook. It's vital for the tomatoes to have a bite in this recipe. 

Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. 

Pour the spicy Palm oil with tomatoes over the Spinach evenly.

Sprinkle the pine nuts over the Spinach mix and serve with either boiled Rice, Yam, Plantain, or Cocoyam

Best with grilled Mackerel or Salmon. 

All photos are by the author of this blog.