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Why It Works
- Blanching the greens first contributes to a smooth, silky texture within the completed stew.
- Utilizing a mixture of dried crayfish, aromatics, fermented locust beans, and unrefined palm oil provides depth and layers of taste.
Now we have tons of of recipes in Nigerian delicacies that includes greens as the principle part, and efo riro, which interprets from Yoruba as “stirred” or “combined” greens, is a well-liked recipe that’s additionally easy to organize. It options recent amaranth leaves, plum tomatoes, and smoky unrefined crimson palm oil, and is commonly seasoned with floor crayfish (a powder produced from smoked and/or dried shrimp), fermented nuts and seeds like locust beans (also called iru in Yoruba), and floor crimson chile peppers.
Amaranth is available in many sorts. For this dish, I like to make use of cockscomb amaranth, also called efo shoko, Lagos spinach, or celosia, which is native to West Africa. This number of amaranth has inexperienced leaves (typically tinted with purple) and vibrant pink-, magenta-, and plum-colored flowers. When stewed, the leaves change into smooth and silky and the flavour is good and delicate, just like spinach. Whereas there is not any excellent substitute for cockscomb amaranth, a mixture of equal components amaranth leaves (also called callaloo), a leafy inexperienced whose taste is just like spinach, and spinach will work (it’s also possible to use all spinach). Plus, if recent greens are troublesome to supply, you need to use frozen ones in a pinch.
Severe Eats / Maureen Celestine
Efo riro is constructed on a handful of elements that come collectively to create layered and sophisticated flavors and textures. This specific recipe incorporates tender cubes of beef chuck roast, however you need to use recent seafood like fish or prawns, sautéed mushrooms, or smoked proteins like catfish, hen, or turkey as an alternative. I blanch my greens individually as a result of I discover that the stew’s flavors come by higher, and I really like the silky, satiny texture the greens tackle. Compared, I’ve discovered that if I wilt the greens instantly within the stew, the general taste is extra distinct and vegetal, which isn’t what efo riro is about.
Then, there are onions, that are gently fried in wealthy, unrefined palm oil till smooth and candy. The stew will get a further fragrant depth from the dried crayfish, non-compulsory fermented locust beans, and uncooked sliced tomato. A purée of uncooked onion, crimson bell pepper, and tomato is poured into all of it, making a flavorful cooking medium that’s naturally thickened by the puréed vegetable fibers. There’s chile warmth in two varieties, recent Scotch bonnet and dried chile powder, which ought to at all times be adjusted to swimsuit one’s style and warmth tolerance. The ultimate step of including the cooked beef and wilted greens ties the stew collectively. And that’s it, your efo riro is able to be loved with white rice, eba, and a bunch of different issues.
January 2023
This Nigerian Beef and Vegetable Stew Is the Most Flavorful Approach to Take pleasure in Your Greens
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For the Beef:
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1/2 pound (226 g) bone-in or boneless beef chuck roast, lower into 2-inch items
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1 small crimson onion (about 3 ounces; 80 g), thinly sliced
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1 tablespoon floor crayfish (see word)
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1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt use half as a lot by quantity or the identical weight
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1/4 teaspoon Nigerian crimson dry pepper
For the Efo Riro:
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2 kilos (906 g) recent cockscomb amaranth or spinach, washed effectively of any sand or grit (see word)
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2 medium crimson onions (8 1/2 ounces; 250 g), half thinly sliced and half roughly chopped, divided
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2 massive plum tomatoes (10 1/2 ounces; 300 g whole), cored, half a tomato thinly sliced crosswise and the remaining roughly chopped, divided
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2 crimson bell peppers (14 ounces; 400 g whole), stemmed, halved, seeded, and roughly chopped
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1/3 cup (80 ml) unrefined crimson palm oil, comparable to Obiji
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Kosher salt
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1 tablespoon floor crayfish (see word)
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1 to 2 teaspoons iru (additionally bought as fermented locust beans or dawadawa), non-compulsory (see word)
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1/4 to 1 recent Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, stemmed, seeded (if desired), and finely chopped
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Nigerian crimson dry pepper, to style
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For the Beef: In a medium pot, mix beef, onion, crayfish, salt, dry pepper, and three cups (710ml) water and produce to a boil. Decrease warmth to take care of a simmer, cowl, and cook dinner till beef is tender, about 1 hour. Utilizing a slotted spoon, take away beef and switch to a medium heatproof bowl and put aside. Reserve inventory (you must have about 1 cup; see word).
Severe Eats / Maureen Celestine
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For the Efo Riro: Put together an ice bathtub in a big bowl. In a medium or massive pot of salted boiling water, cook dinner amaranth or spinach till tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Instantly switch to ready ice bathtub to chill.
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Set a fine-mesh strainer over a big bowl. Switch amaranth to strainer and squeeze to take away extra moisture; discard liquid. Switch amaranth to a piece floor and finely chop; put aside.
Severe Eats / Maureen Celestine
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In a blender, pulse roughly chopped onion, roughly chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, and 1/2 cup (120ml) reserved beef inventory till a thick coarse purée varieties, 3 to 4 1-second pulses. Put aside.
Severe Eats / Maureen Celestine
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In a wok or 10-inch skillet or sauté pan, warmth palm oil over low warmth till smoking and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add sliced onion, season calmly with salt, and cook dinner, stirring typically, till onion is softened however not browned, about 3 minutes. Add sliced tomatoes, floor crayfish, and iru (if utilizing), and cook dinner till tomatoes are softened however nonetheless holding their form, 2 to three minutes. Stir in recent pepper, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, till desired spice degree is reached. Proceed to cook dinner, stirring typically, till pepper has softened barely, 2 to three minutes.
Severe Eats / Maureen Celestine
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Add reserved vegetable purée, improve warmth to excessive, and cook dinner, stirring often, till scorching, about 4 minutes. Stir in reserved beef, cut back warmth to medium warmth, partially cowl, and cook dinner, stirring typically, till stew is barely lowered and thickened and oil swimming pools across the sides and on prime, about 10 minutes.
Severe Eats / Maureen Celestine
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Stir in chopped amaranth, cowl, and cook dinner till greens are heated by, 2 to three minutes. Season with salt and dry pepper to style. (Should you desire a looser stew, stir in reserved beef inventory in 1/4 cup increments to succeed in desired consistency). Take away from warmth and let stand to permit flavors to develop, about 10 minutes.
Severe Eats / Maureen Celestine
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To serve, divide stew amongst warmed particular person bowls or serve family-style in a single massive bowl. Serve with eba, fufu, Nigerian beef stew or obe ata, rice, and boiled yams, candy potatoes, or plantains.
Severe Eats / Maureen Celestine
Particular Tools
blender, wok or 10-inch skillet or sauté pan
Notes
The reserved beef inventory can be utilized in different recipes that decision for beef inventory like egusi soup.
You should utilize different edible forms of amaranth greens or candy potato leaves. Don’t use child spinach.
Floor crayfish is produced from small prawns which might be typically sun-dried and smoked. You’ll find floor crayfish in lots of West African shops and on-line.
Iru (fermented locust beans) can be found recent, dried, and floor; you need to use them interchangeably. You’ll discover them in lots of West African shops and on-line.
Make-Forward and Storage
The amaranth might be ready forward of time by following Steps 2 and three then refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 2 days or frozen for as much as 1 month. If utilizing frozen greens, add frozen greens in Step 10 and cook dinner till softened and heated by, about 8 minutes.
Efo riro might be refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days or frozen for as much as 6 weeks (thaw in a single day within the fridge). Reheat gently earlier than serving.
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