This flavourful nutrient-packed stew is a perfect make-ahead meal!
Ingredients
1/4 cup
Vegetable oil
1 medium
Red onion
(chopped)
4 clove(s)
Garlic
(minced)
3 tbsp
Ginger root
(minced)
1 pepper(s)
Green chili pepper (also chile or chilli)
(habanero; seeds and ribs removed; minced)
1 pinch
Salt
1 tbsp
Tomato paste, canned
1 kg
Plum tomatoes
(chopped)
3/4 cup
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
(egusi or raw shelled)
2 1/2 tsp
Paprika, smoked
(or replace with African shrimp powder (4 tsp))
1 tsp
Fish sauce
(to taste (omit if using African shrimp powder))
908 gm
Spinach
(washed; dried and roughly chopped)
3 plantain(s)
Plantain, green, raw
(peeled; boiled; salted water until just tender)
Instructions
In a Dutch oven, warm the vegetable oil over medium heat, and add the onions, garlic, ginger, chile and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown and sweet, about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and partly cover the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has cooked to a rich tomato-soup consistency, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, pulse the egusi or pumpkin seeds in a food processor or blender to a fine powder, until it just starts to get clumpy, but do not overprocess into butter. Place into a bowl and set aside.
When the tomatoes have reduced, add the smoked paprika and fish sauce to taste (or replace with African shrimp powder), and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, to the bowl of egusi/pumpkin powder until it is a loose paste. Add the egusi/pumpkin paste on top of the tomato sauce, and spread it out. Cover the pan, and cook 5 minutes.
Stir the sauce all together; it will look like a thick porridge. Add a few splashes of water, and increase heat to a boil. Stir in the spinach, until wilted and tender. Taste, season with salt (or more fish sauce, if using) and serve with boiled sweet plantains.
Notes:
Add more protein
Add your favourite rinsed and drained canned beans or other protein source in step 4 and heat through before adding spinach.
