Name: Spinach Stew (Kontomire Stew)
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: Ghanaian
Ingredients: dried ground red pepper to taste (¼ to ½ teaspoon to begin); ¼ cup palm oil or other vegetable oil; ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste—remember that the fish and cod will make the stew saltier); 1-inch cube salted cod (optional); 6 to 8 ounces smoked fish; 1 pound fresh cocoyam/taro/kontomire leaves or spinach or other greens (collard, mustard, chard, etc.); 2 medium tomatoes, chopped or sliced; 1 or 2 onions, sliced or chopped

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Ghana Cookbook

By Fran Osseo-Asare and Barbara Baëta

Published 2015

About

Ghanaians abroad commonly say they are making “spinach” stew. Actually in Ghana the stew likely features beloved kontomire/cocoyam/taro leaves, easily available wild or cultivated. Kontomire’s flavor and texture differs from that of spinach—the leaves are thicker and hardier, more like kale or collard greens.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh cocoyam/taro/kontomire leaves or spinach or other greens (collard, mustard, chard, etc.)
6 to 8

Method

Directions

Prepare greens

Wash the leaves. Remove the tough central stem of the cocoyam leaves (or mustard greens or chard) by holding the end of the leaf by the stem with one hand and with the other hand pull firmly downwards, using your thumb and index finger to release the stem (alternatively, just cut it out). Layer sev