1
Prep the greens
Rinse and chop the kontomire leaves. If using mature leaves, blanch briefly and drain.
prep greens
05:00
Ghana | Stew
Kontomire Stew
Ghanaian cocoyam leaf stew with palm oil, egusi, smoked fish, tomatoes, onion, chile, and tender greens.
Country
Ghana
Region
West Africa
Time
70 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Kontomire stew is one of Ghana's beloved green stews, often cooked with cocoyam leaves, palm oil, egusi, smoked fish, and a tomato-pepper base. It is earthy, rich, and built for yam, plantain, rice, or ampesi.
What the dish tastes like
Ghanaian cocoyam leaf stew with palm oil, egusi, smoked fish, tomatoes, onion, chile, and tender greens.
When to cook it
Best for Best for weekday family meals, yam and plantain plates, or a hearty lunch., with a medium cooking level and about 70 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
Boiled yam, ripe plantain, rice, ampesi, or gari.
Regional lane
Soups, stews, and swallow table. Groundnut, greens, fish, palm oil, and fufu-friendly bowls.
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.
- Greens should be cooked through but still look alive and glossy.
Pantry lane
shito, palm oil, sorghum leaves, fermented corn dough, groundnut
Recipe photos
See the dish before you cook
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Chef board
Build the table around Kontomire Stew
Boiled yam, ripe plantain, rice, ampesi, or gari.
Best route from here
Soups, stews, and swallow table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
4 steps
70 min total
medium
2
Cook the tomato base
Heat palm oil and cook onions until soft. Add tomato, chile, ginger, and garlic, then simmer until the sauce thickens.
tomato base
20:00
3
Set the egusi
Spoon in the egusi paste and let it steam for a few minutes before gently stirring into curds.
Letting egusi set first gives the stew body.
set egusi
10:00
4
Finish the stew
Add smoked fish and greens. Cover and cook until tender, then adjust salt and serve.
cook greens
15:00
Spinach can stand in for cocoyam leaves when needed. Some cooks use salted fish, eggs, snails, beef, or no animal protein at all.