Nigerian Efo Riro (Spinach Stew)

About This Recipe

Efo riro is one of the most beloved vegetable stews in Yoruba cooking, built on the same foundational technique found across much of Nigerian cuisine: a slow-reduced base of blended tomato, pepper and onion, enriched with palm oil, meat and often smoked fish or crayfish, into which leafy greens are folded at the very end. The technique that defines a good efo riro is patience with the pepper base — letting it fry and reduce until it darkens and thickens is what builds the stew's depth, rather than rushing straight to adding the greens. Clearing the palm oil first, heating it until it loses its raw smell, is a small but essential early step that many home cooks in Nigeria learn from watching their mothers and grandmothers cook. Served with pounded yam, eba or rice, efo riro is a dish that shows up regularly on Nigerian tables — nourishing, deeply flavored, and endlessly adaptable to whatever greens and proteins are on hand.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gfresh spinach or callaloo(washed and chopped)
• 0.33 cuppalm oil
• 1onion(diced)
• 3tomatoes(blended)
• 2red bell peppers(blended)
• 2scotch bonnet peppers(blended, adjust to taste)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 lbbeef or goat meat(cooked and cut into chunks)
• 0.25 cupground crayfish
• 1stock cube(crumbled)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 cupcooked stock fish or smoked fish(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the spinach

   Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the spinach for 1 minute, then drain well and set aside.

2. 2

   Heat the palm oil

   Heat palm oil in a large pot over medium heat until it turns clear (about 2-3 minutes) — this bleaches off its raw smell.

3. 3

   Fry the aromatics

   Add onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the blended tomato, bell pepper and scotch bonnet mixture and fry 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and darkens.

4. 4

   Add the meat and seasoning

   Stir in the cooked meat, ground crayfish, stock cube and salt. Simmer 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.

5. 5

   Fold in the spinach

   Add the blanched spinach and any smoked fish, stirring gently to combine. Simmer 5 more minutes, just until everything is heated through.

   Add the spinach last and don't overcook it — a few minutes is enough, since overcooked greens turn dull and lose their texture.

Variations

• •

  Use kale or collard greens instead of spinach for a heartier, more traditional Nigerian version.

• •

  Add smoked fish or dried shrimp for extra depth, a common addition in many households.

• •

  Adjust the scotch bonnet quantity for a milder or spicier stew depending on preference.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; the flavor deepens overnight. Freezes well up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions