Ghana Palava Sauce

When I was younger, one of the meals I always looked forward to my mom making was Kontomire stew also known as Ghana palava sauce. Even as an adult, it gives me this nostalgic feeling whenever it’s made at home especially if I wasn’t the one making it.

It reminds me of all the emotions I felt after school when I got home and smelled the delicious aroma of cured fish mixed with onions, pepper, and dried fish. And the aroma of perfectly cooked rice; this was indeed one of my fondest childhood memories.

The food was usually served in a bowl and the best way to eat it is to sit on the floor, spread your legs apart, and eat with your hands.

Kontomire Stew or Ghana Palava sauce is one of Ghana's signature stews. It is very simple to make and highly nutritious. The kontomire leaves or Taro leaves sprout from the taro or cocoyam plant known in twi as “Kooko or Menkani”.

Back in the day, it was common to see cocoyam planted in the backyard gardens of households. The leaves are usually plucked to prepare a sumptuous meal of Palava sauce or “Abom”, served with Ampesi while the tubers were made into Ampesi or pottage known in twi as “Nuhuu” or Mpotompoto.

Aside Kontomire a.k.a cocoyam leaves, other leaves like spinach, Alefi, or other green leaves can be used as substitute. I have personally tried using Alefi and it tasted just as good, only slightly different.

How Is Ghana Palava Sauce Prepared?

Palava sauce is typically prepared with a palm oil stew base and the Kontomire or taro leaves. The recipe requires a few ingredients but a few things can be added or removed based on preferences.

Disclaimers

1. It is not everyone who boils their Kontomire before adding it to the stew. Some people struggle with itchiness if the Kontomire isn’t cooked well so they prefer this method. This is also what I grew up with and it’s fine if that’s not how it’s made in your house. You can still try the recipe and adjust it to your preference.

2. Agushie is usually what is used for this recipe however, eggs are a great substitute. So if you don’t like the taste of agushie , eggs are always a good alternative.

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1

Course Main Course

Cuisine Ghanaian

Servings

Ingredients

I/2 cup Palm oil
6 pieces Kontonmire / Taro leaves
Momone or cured fish
2 large Onions
6 Tomatoes
Pepper as needed
Tomato paste optional
1 medium Smoked tuna or Mackerel
Melon seeds (Agushie or Akatoa) or eggs
Seasoning of choice

Instructions

Wash the kontomire or taro leaves thoroughly with salt and water.
After washing, cut into preferred stripes based on your next step. If you are pre-cooking it, it’s advisable to cut it a bit bigger so they don’t become too soft when cooking.
If you are using whole melon seeds, Soak melon seeds in water, and set aside.
In a saucepan, put the cut Kontomire and some water, cover, and leave to boil for about 5 minutes. This is an optional step as some people prefer to use the Kontomire in its raw state without boiling.
After boiling the Kontomire, sieve out the water and set aside.
Blend one onion with pepper and one tomato and aside. This will serve as your pepper mix
Wash and the break your mackerel into two, discard the head and the bones and break it into desired pieces.
If you are using whole melon seeds, blend it with about ¼ teaspoon salt and just enough water to form a loose paste. If you are using ground "agushie", add a little bit of water and ¼ a teaspoon of salt and mix till it forms into a paste.
In a pan, add some palm oil and let it heat for a couple of minutes
Add cured fish or momone. It releases a lot of Umami flavor that enriches the taste of the tomato base.
After this, add in the chopped onions and smoked mackerel ( This can be added in the beginning, middle, or end. It's really up to who is doing the cooking
After about 5-10 mins, add blended pepper, and chopped tomatoes. Stir until everything is well mixed . Cover to cook for a while till it thickens. Although the tomatoes can be blended before adding to the stew, I prefer chopped tomatoes because it gives the stew more texture and enables the stew to simmer quicker.
Add in the tomato paste to further thicken it and let it sit for 5 more minutes. As mentioned earlier this is an optional step. The traditional way of making palava sauce makes use of only fresh ingredients.
Next, add in your blended Agushie. At this point, don't stir the Agushie. Use the tip of the cooking spoon to spread it evenly in the pot. Then cover and leave to cook properly for about 10 minutes.
After the Agushie is well cooked, stir gently and add the cooked Kontomire and stir. At this point, just allow the stew to sit for about just 5 minutes because the Kontomire is already cooked. Adjust the salt and seasoning to your taste. Your Kontomire should be ready.
Serve with a hot bowl of rice or Ampesi

Video

Notes

For a more detailed video, watch the YouTube video on our assorted Kontomire recipe. Enjoy making your version of Ghana's authentic Kontomire Stew. Thank you for stopping by.

You could also check out our refreshing Sobolo recipe if you enjoyed this recipe.