Efo Riro with Peanuts
Africa is home to a wide variety of greens dishes, including Efo Riro. This dish features greens cooked in a bold, savory sauce containing peppers, tomatoes, and other aromatics. It originated from Nigeria, specifically, from the Yoruba tribe, where the name efo riro translates to “mixed greens”. Kale (or spinach) is used in this recipe, although other greens can be used in its place. While the dish is traditionally prepared with different meats, this plant-forward recipe utilizes soaked peanuts to give a meaty texture, and mushrooms for additional texture and savory flavor. An Oldways recipe, created in partnership with The Peanut Institute.
6 servings
Ingredients
Efo Riro with Peanuts
1 cup of unsalted dry roasted peanuts
1-2 cups of water, boiling
2 pounds of spinach, or kale, washed
3 tbsps of olive oil, divided
8 oz of mushrooms, shiitake, sliced
1 medium red onion, (half thinly sliced, half roughly chopped, divided)
2 tsps of curry powder
1 cup plus 2-3 tsps of low sodium vegetable broth, divided
2-3 red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, or habanero pepper, stemmed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp of fresh ginger
3 cloves of garlic
Instructions
- Add peanuts to a large pot. Pour 1-2 cups boiling water over peanuts until covered. Cover container and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the peanuts, and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pot and place in a container filled with ice water to halt cooking. Drain and set the spinach aside.
- Pour the remaining boiling water out of the pot and dry the pot off. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pot, then add the mushrooms and sauté on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their moisture. Add another tablespoon or two of oil, then add the sliced onions (reserving the chopped onions for later use) and sauté the sliced onions and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for an additional minute. To prevent sticking, add a couple teaspoons of vegetable broth to the pot while cooking the vegetables.
- Make the sauce by roughly blending the bell peppers, Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic in a blender or food processor.
- Once the vegetables have been sauteed, add the sauce to the pot of mushrooms and onions, and stir to incorporate vegetables. Continue to stir until sauce has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the cooked spinach, peanuts, and vegetable broth, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt as needed.
Estimated Nutritional Information
Calories:
320kcal
Carbohydrates:
28g
Fat:
20g
Saturated Fat:
3.5g
Fiber:
11g
Protein:
14g
Sodium:
110mg
Sugar:
9g
