Sierra Leone | Stew

Cassava Leaves

Cassava Leaves is a Sierra Leone stew built around cassava leaves, peanut and smoked fish, and the serving logic of rice.

Country
Sierra Leone
Region
West Africa
Time
95 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Cassava Leaves fills a real AfroKitchen gap for Sierra Leone, where everyday cooking, celebration plates, street snacks, and local drinks often rely on ingredients that do not show up in generic African recipe lists. This version keeps the method practical while preserving the dish's core identity: cassava leaves, peanut and smoked fish, and a table built around rice.

What the dish tastes like

Cassava Leaves is a Sierra Leone stew built around cassava leaves, peanut and smoked fish, and the serving logic of rice.

When to cook it

Best for Best for family meals, regional food discovery, weekend cooking, and country-hub depth., with a medium cooking level and about 95 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

rice

Regional lane

Sierra Leone national table. A verified Sierra Leone dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
  • Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
How you know it is ready
  • The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Chef board

Build the table around Cassava Leaves

rice

Best route from here

Sierra Leone national table

Collections to keep cooking
Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Sierra Leone
4 steps 95 min total medium
1
Cook greens
Simmer cassava leaves until softened and safe to eat.
greens 30:00
2
Build sauce
Cook onion, tomato, oil, and chili into a thick base.
base 12:00
3
Enrich
Add peanut and smoked fish and ground peanuts or coconut, then simmer into the greens.
simmer 18:00
4
Finish
Season and serve with rice.
finish 05:00

Cassava Leaves changes by household and market availability. Cooks may adjust the main ingredient, heat level, liquid, or serving starch while keeping the same local flavor logic.