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Efo Riro Stew of Western Nigeria

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Efo Riro Stew

Efo Riro is a traditional stew of the Yoruba Tribe made with green leafy Amaranth leaves and a variety of meats.
Efo Riro Stew, Every African food recipe has a story


What is Efo Riro Stew? Efo Riro is a rich throw everything in the pot meat and vegetable stew that is native to the Yorubas of Western Nigeria. The traditional vegetables used to make the stew are Amaranth leaves, but if these are not readily available where you live, fresh spinach is a good substitute.

Yoruba Efo Riro Stew Ingredients and Directions

Ingredients
1/2 pound medium cut beef chunks
1/4 cup palm oil
3 handfuls Amaranth leaves or spinach
1 medium red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons ground shrimp
2 medium onions, sliced
2 tablespoons locust beans
2 medium Irish potatoes, diced
1 hot pepper finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable stock

Directions
In a large lidded pot add beef, onions and palm oil and brown over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add stock, hot pepper and salt. Cover, cook for 20 minutes then add potatoes, cover cook an additional 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover cook 10 minutes. Serve with fufu or white rice.

What is Locust bean? Locust bean, commonly referred to as iru by Yorubas, is a seasoning used in soups and stews.

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The African Gourmet explores how African food, history, and science intertwine. Here, a plant is a healer, a story is a map, and the kitchen is a laboratory. I’m Ivy — a writer raised by historians, now sharing Africa’s wisdom from the U.S. through cookbooks, cultural research, and storytelling. If you’re curious about where flavor meets memory, you belong here.

Recipes Explain Politics

When Rice Recipes Become Revolution

What if your grandmother's rice recipe could explain the Liberian Rice Riots of 1979?

"In Liberia, rice isn't just food—it's life, identity, and sovereignty. When the government proposed raising rice prices in 1979, they weren't just adjusting economics; they were threatening every grandmother's ability to feed her family according to traditions passed down for generations."

The riot that followed wasn't about politics—it was about the sacred right to cook your family's rice recipe.

The Deeper Recipe

  • Ingredients: Colonial trade patterns + Urbanization + Economic inequality
  • Preparation: Political disconnect from daily survival needs
  • Serving: 40+ deaths, regime destabilization, and a warning about ignoring cultural fundamentals

This is African Gourmet analysis: understanding how the food in grandmother's pot connects to the protests in the streets. The recipes we inherit carry not just flavor, but the entire history of our political and economic struggles.

Read the Rice Riots Analysis → Try Liberian Rice Bread Recipe
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