Potato Leaf Plasa (Petehteh Leaf Stew)

Ingredients

• • 600g fresh sweet potato leaves, washed and finely chopped
• • 400g beef, goat or chicken, cubed
• • 200g smoked fish, soaked, deboned and flaked
• • 3/4 cup (175ml) red palm oil
• • 4 tbsp peanut butter (groundnut paste)
• • 1–2 tbsp ogiri (fermented locust bean paste)
• • 2 onions (1 blended, 1 chopped)
• • 3 scotch bonnet peppers
• • 5 okra pods, finely chopped or crushed
• • 1 tin (400g) butter beans, drained (optional, traditional enrichment)
• • 2 Maggi cubes, salt to taste
• • 750ml water or stock
• • White rice, to serve

Method

1. 1

   Season meat with salt, half a Maggi cube and a few onion slices; boil in 500ml water 30–40 minutes until tender. Reserve the stock.

2. 2

   Blend 1 onion, scotch bonnets and ogiri to a thick paste. Add to the pot with the meat and stock, top up to barely cover, and simmer 15–20 minutes.

3. 3

   Whisk peanut butter with 50ml warm water until smooth, then stir into the pot along with the palm oil, smoked fish and remaining Maggi. Simmer 10 minutes until you have a thick, glossy sauce.

4. 4

   Stir in the chopped potato leaves and butter beans if using. Cook on medium heat 12–15 minutes — the leaves should soften but still keep a little bite.

5. 5

   Add the crushed okra and the remaining chopped onion. Simmer 5 minutes more on low until the palm oil floats on the surface.

6. 6

   Taste, adjust salt and heat, and serve over plain white rice.