Nigerian Efo Riro Food

EFO RIRO - NIGERIAN SPINACH STEW

Steps:

• Blend tomatoes, red bell pepper, habanero pepper and half of the onion together using a food processor.
• Chop up the other half of the onion and set aside.
• If using fresh spinach, chop it up, wash and squeeze, and leave in a colander. If using frozen spinach, microwave for a few minutes.
• Wash and drain the mushrooms.
• Heat palm oil in a pot on medium heat, add in your onions and stir for about 2 minutes.
• Add in your blended tomato and pepper mix and stir for about a minute.
• Add the bouillon powder, crayfish, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt, and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
• If using fresh spinach, add stock or water and bring to a boil.
• Add the goat meat, mushroom, and any other meat you desire and let boil for another 5 minutes.
• Add the spinach and stir intermittently for about 5 minutes.
• Add more salt or spices if desired.
• Garnish with red pepper flakes, if you want it spicier and enjoy!

EFO RIRO (STEWED AMARANTH GREENS)

Steps:

• Combine all the obe ata ingredients except the canola oil in a blender and purée on high until smooth, working in batches if needed. The liquid from the can of tomatoes should suffice, but you can add up to 1/4 cup of water if necessary to get the purée going. (You should have about 3 cups of purée.)
• Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the purée and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced by about a third of its original volume, 18 to 20 minutes. (It should make about 2 cups.)
• Meanwhile, if using fresh greens, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high and prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. (You can skip this blanching step if using frozen spinach.) Pick the leaves off the bunch of amaranth greens, if using, and discard the tough stems. Once the water is boiling, blanch the leaves until bright green and just tender, about 2 minutes. (You can work in batches if necessary.) Cool greens immediately by transferring to the ice bath using a slotted spoon.
• In a large, deep skillet or sauté pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high. Sauté the onion and bell pepper until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the dried crayfish, fermented locust beans and turmeric. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute, lowering the heat if necessary to avoid scorching.
• Stir in the obe ata and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and stir in the red palm oil. Cook for 1 more minute.
• Remove the greens from the ice bath and squeeze out as much water as you can. (You want the greens to be as dry as possible so you don't dilute the vibrant flavors of the sauce.) If using frozen greens, squeeze out any excess liquid before using.
• Add the greens to the skillet and stir to coat with the sauce. Gently stir in the flaked fish. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the greens and fish are warmed through, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.