Ghanaian Ampesi with Kontomire Stew (Boiled Yam and Plantain)

About This Recipe

Ghanaian Ampesi with Kontomire Stew is a real, traditional Ghanaian dish, known as Boiled Yam and Plantain. Boiled yam, plantain and cassava served plain alongside a rich cocoyam leaf and palm oil stew, a simple, everyday Ghanaian meal.\n\nAmpesi, meaning simply 'boiled food', reflects a foundational style of Ghanaian home cooking where starchy staples are boiled plainly and paired with a flavorful stew, historically valued for its simplicity and adaptability to whatever protein or greens are available.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Ghanaian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 800 gyam(peeled and cut into large chunks)
• 2unripe plantains(peeled and cut into chunks)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(for boiling)
• 4 tbspred palm oil
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 3tomatoes(diced)
• 400 gkontomire (cocoyam leaves) or substitute spinach(chopped and softened)
• 200 gsmoked fish(flaked)
• 1scotch bonnet pepper(minced)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste, for stew)

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the ampesi

   Boil the yam and plantain chunks in salted water until tender, about 25 minutes; drain.

2. 2

   Cook the stew aromatics

   Heat red palm oil in a separate pot and cook the onion until soft, about 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Build the stew

   Add tomatoes and scotch bonnet, simmering for 15 minutes until thickened.

4. 4

   Add greens

   Stir in the chopped, softened kontomire or spinach, cooking down for 20 minutes until very tender.

5. 5

   Add fish

   Fold in the flaked smoked fish and season with salt.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve the boiled yam and plantain alongside the stew, allowing diners to dip or top the starches with the sauce.

Variations

• •

  Serve with garden egg (African eggplant) stew instead of kontomire for a different traditional pairing.

• •

  Add diced avocado on the side for a creamy, modern addition.

• •

  Use cassava in place of yam for a different traditional ampesi base.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions