Kontomire (Ghanaian Cocoyam-Leaf) Stew — Vegan

Name: Kontomire (Ghanaian Cocoyam-Leaf) Stew — Vegan
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Ghanaian
Ingredients: 450 g kontomire (cocoyam) leaves, stems removed and chopped; 3 tbsp red palm oil; 1 large yellow onion; 3 clove garlic; 1 tbsp fresh ginger; 4 medium tomatoes; 1 piece garden egg (small African eggplant) or small globe eggplant; 1 piece scotch bonnet or habanero; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 240 ml vegetable broth; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 600 g white yam; 2 cups cooked white rice; 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley; 0.5 tsp granulated sugar

A palm-oil–rich Ghanaian leafy stew made with kontomire (cocoyam or spinach), garden egg (or eggplant) and tomatoes. Serve it with boiled yam or rice for a simple, deeply flavored plant-based meal.

1 hr

start to finish

20 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

Roughly, per serving

340 kcal6g protein45g carbs12g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

If serving with yam: place the peeled, cubed yam in a medium pot, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
When the water boils, reduce to a simmer and cook the yam until tender when pierced with a fork, 12–15 minutes; drain and keep covered until serving.
While the yam cooks, blend the tomatoes into a smooth purée (or open the can of crushed tomatoes).
Heat the palm oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until it shimmers.
Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the diced garden egg (or eggplant) and chopped scotch bonnet; sauté for 4–5 minutes until the eggplant begins to soften.
Mix in the tomato paste and blended tomatoes, then add smoked paprika, dried thyme, sugar (if using), salt and black pepper; bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Pour in the vegetable broth (or water), stir, and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes to deepen the tomato flavor and reduce slightly.
Add the chopped kontomire (or spinach) to the pot in batches, stirring each batch into the sauce until it wilts and is evenly incorporated.
Cover and simmer the stew gently for 8–10 minutes so the flavors marry and the leaves are tender; taste and adjust seasoning.
Stir in the lemon juice, remove from the heat, and let the stew stand 2 minutes.
Serve the kontomire stew hot spooned over boiled yam or alongside cooked rice; garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.

Worth knowing

Kontomire (cocoyam leaves) have a distinct, slightly bitter taste; if using spinach, cook a little less time so it stays bright green.
Red palm oil gives an authentic color and flavor; if you can't source it, add a pinch of smoked paprika to neutral oil and finish with a little extra lemon juice for complexity.
Garden eggs (small African eggplants) keep their shape better than large globe eggplant; if using globe eggplant, salt the diced pieces and let them sit 10 minutes, then rinse and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
Make a larger batch: the stew keeps 3–4 days refrigerated and freezes well—reheat gently and add a splash of water or broth if it thickens.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

VeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeBudgetMeal prep

More Ghanaian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Ghanaian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegan and vegetarian and gluten-free and dairy-free as listed.