10,000 naira

Efo Riro also known as Nigerian vegetable stew is a one-pot meal with layers of flavor. Its very versatile and can be served with rice, yam or any swallow. It is typically made with Efo shoko, pumpkin leaves (Ugu) and Green, but it can also be made with spinach. 

Efo Riro can be made with any protein of choice ranging from chicken, beef, turkey or fish. My recipe uses a stew base like any other Nigerian stew and with a little work from the cook you will have your Efo Riro (Nigerian vegetable stew) ready to eat. Here is my simple Efo Riro recipe made with a mixture of Beef, Tripe, and cow skin.

Ready in 45 minutes

Serves 4 people

427 calories 

Ingredients

• Tomatoes and pepper (1000 naira)
• Tomato paste (300 naira)
• Onions (200 naira)
• Palm oil (300 naira)
• crayfish powder (200 naira)
• locust bean (100 naira)
• Seasoning cube (100 naira)
• Salt to taste
• Vegetables- Ugu, Efo shoko, Green ( 1200 naira)
• Dry Fish (1000 naira)
• Dried prawn (500 naira)
• Assortment  of Beef, Tripe, and cow Skin ( 5000 naira)

Preparation

• Blend the tomatoes, peppers, and onion. Then cook down to form a paste like you would when preparing stew.

• Many people would say this isn’t the authentic way of preparing Efo Riro, as the Yorubas who are the originators of this dish typically prepare it with a blend of scotch bonnet peppers and onions. But recipes evolve and one is free to make a few changes to a recipe as their palate would accommodate.
• Cook the meat. In another pot, season your beef, tripe and cow skin with some crayfish powder, diced onions, curry, thyme and seasoning cubes with salt to taste.

• Allow them to cook till tender. If your cow skin is already tender, it can skip the cooking party and be introduced later on in the cooking process.

• Preheat the palm oil. With the stew base ready, heat up the palm oil in a pot without bleaching it. Then throw in some diced onion and locust beans and stir-fry till golden brown.

• Add the pepper and tomato blend and fry until the sauce thickens up. Stir constantly to prevent burning, it should take about 15 minutes.

• Next add in the crayfish powder, locust bean, seasoning cube, dried fish, the meat, cow skin, dried prawns and salt to taste. Stir everything together.

• Add some water or stock to thin out the sauce, then cover it up and allow it to come to a simmer.

• Finally, add your mixed vegetables making sure it has been properly washed and chopped to your desired size.

• Then leave it to cook covered for about 2 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Tips

This simple Efo Riro recipe pairs well with rice, yam and even swallow. Its a great alternative to regular stew and can be made with any protein of choice.