Bitter Leaf Stew Quick and Easy African Food

Three Easy Bitter Leaf Stew Recipes

The African Gourmet

Bitterleaf Stew is not bitter as suggested by the name of the recipe but a delicious mix of beef, fish, chicken, pork, and shellfish served over fufu.

Bitter leaf alone has a bitter taste and are sold fresh or dried. The leaves are green with a robust odor and a bitter taste.

Yorubas call bitter leaf Ewuro and Igbos Onugbu. All of the plant is beneficial, from the stem, leaves, and roots. Liberian stews are unlike most recipes. Liberian stews are hearty stews that combine numerous meats, fish, and vegetables in one stew.

Liberian Bitter Leaf Stew

Serves 4
Low-fat option with shellfish and no palm oil
African food
Stew
Nutrition facts: 340 calories, 3 grams of fat

Ingredients

5 ounces of cubed beef

5 ounces of pork or pork sausage

2 skinless chicken thighs

3 smoked fish, flaked

1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 onions, chopped finely

1/4 cup palm oil

1 bunch bitter leaf, chopped

Water to cover

Directions

Add all ingredients except shrimp to a large pot over medium heat. Cover ingredients with water. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Add shrimp and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.

[Read: How to Make Niter Kibbeh Ethiopian Spiced Clarified Butter Recipe]

The bitter leaf plant has its origins in Nigeria and is a small tree whose leaves are green and have the odor and taste of bitterness. Bitter leaf grows, and a range of zones in Africa, arid to semi-arid to Tropical. There are over 200 species of bitter leaf. The leaves are used to make vegetable dishes but must be washed before eating to eliminate the bitter taste.

A favorite recipe in French-speaking Cameroon is a Bitter leaf vegetable stew. This stew is made from six types of vegetables, palm oil, and simple spices and is a popular dish throughout the country. Try our recipe below for Cameroon bitter leaf vegetable stew or as French-speaking Cameroon calls the recipe Recette de ragoût de légumes aux feuilles amères du Cameroun.

Cameroon Bitter Leaf Vegetable Stew Recipe

Serves 4
African food
Stew
Nutrition facts: 310 calories, 3 grams of fat

Ingredients

4 handfuls of bitter leaf, washed and chopped

1 medium-sized yam, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 green peppers, diced

3 tablespoons oil palm

5 cups of water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 hot pepper, whole

Directions

In a large pot with a lid, add palm oil and sauté onions until slightly soft. Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until yams are soft. Serve warm as a stew with toasted bread.

Bitter Leaf Stew Rural Recipe

For rural households and communities, the best security is a home garden that provides food year-round. Many villages are located some distance from towns and markets. Food supplies from outside are often expensive and difficult to transport, especially if heavy rains have flooded or damaged the roads.

Growing food at home saves money and effort and ensures a regular food supply if roads are cut off. Bitter leaf leafy vegetables are ready for harvest 7-9 months after planting. 

Other major crops of rural Ghana are cassava leaves 3-4 months, amaranth 30 days, African eggplant 90 days, sweet potato leaves 30 days, tomatoes 90 days, and chilies 120 days. These traditional foods are foods produced locally that form part of the food culture in rural households and communities of Ghana.

Ghanaian Bitter Leaf Stew with Sweet Plantains

Serves 4
African food
Stew
Nutrition facts: 310 calories, 3 grams of fat

Ingredients

4 handfuls of bitter leaf, washed and chopped

3 tablespoons oil palm

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 hot pepper

3 tomatoes, diced

¾ cup egusi seeds

2 sweet yellow plantains, peeled and sliced

5 cups of water

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot with a lid, add palm oil and sauté onions until slightly soft. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes until yams are soft. Serve warm as a stew with toasted bread.