I love a simple fry-up of mixed vegetables and lately, Kale has been my favourite. This recipe is a steal from the Nigerian classic: Efo-Riro; but it does not fully embody the delicacy. With respect to the culture of the Nigerian cuisine, I have refrained myself from outright calling this simple and vibrant stew ‘Efo-riro’. Hence, a simple ‘Kale Stew’ will suffice as a name for this dish. The Kale I used is not what is common in most western stores, these are ‘Cavolo Nero’ the Italian Black Kale; Freshly sourced here in Florence, Italy and are simply delicious.
Efo-riro is the Yoruba (a Nigerian tribe and language) name for stir-fried green leaf based stew. I would tell you more about the origin of the name but I’m not Yoruba. I only found out about this name in my late teens. However, growing up even in Nigeria, I knew it as a vegetable stew. There is probably a more native name from the Nigerian tribe (Urhobo) that I belong to but my knowledge is not so clear on this. So I’m sticking with vegetable stew for now.
The stew is delicious on its own but is enhanced by the addition of the Sea Bream. The fish is lightly seasoned with Chilli powder and salt, then shallow fried in the same oil used for the stew. The flavour then marinades into the stewed vegetables and produces a beautiful flavour. A fantastic meal almost anyone would love. I say almost everyone because I know not everyone likes fish/seafood.
How to make Kale stew and fried sea bream:
- Cut the cleaned fish into 5 pieces and dispose the head. Season with chilli powder and salt, rubbing into each piece.
- Place a frying pan over medium-high heat, pour in the sunflower oil and fry the fish on each side for 2 minutes. Remove the fish and set aside.
- In the same pan of oil, toss in the chopped onions and peppers. Stir and fry until the onions start looking transparent.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and crumble in the vegetable cubes. Reduce heat, stir and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the chopped kale leafs, stir into the tomato sauce. let it simmer on low heat and cook for no more than 5 minutes.
If you like this recipe, you might also like Meatballs in Green Chilli Sauce: New Nigerian Spicy Ayamase/Ofada stew.
Kale Stew and Sea Bream
Ingredients
- 450g Black Kale (Cavolo Nero) Choppped
- 1 Whole Sea Bream Cleaned, Scaled and gutted.
- 1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
- 3 Large tomatoes Chopped
- ⅓ Cup Sunflower oil
- 1 Medium Onion Chopped
- 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper Chopped
- 1 Vegetable Cube
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Cut the cleaned fish into 5 pieces and dispose the head. Season with chilli powder and salt, rubbing into each piece.
- Place a frying pan over medium-high heat, pour in the sunflower oil and fry the fish on each side for 2 minutes. Remove the fish and set aside.
- In the same pan of oil, toss in the chopped onions and peppers. Stir and fry until the onions start looking transparent.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and crumble in the vegetable cubes. Reduce heat, stir and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the chopped kale leafs, stir into the tomato sauce. let it simmer on low heat and cook for no more than 5 minutes.
9 Responses
This looks incredible! I would totally devour it, perhaps paired with Sauvignon Blanc or something sparkling.
Thanks and yes I agree a glass of French white wine would make a great pair.
Looks delicious! I’m always looking for new ways to make fish.
Thank you! Fish can be very versatile and its always a good idea to try something new.
I’m definitely going to try this recipe – thanks for sharing!
Thanks, I’m sure you will enjoy it!
Love this, looking for ideas to make kale, and your page was suggested. I would be adding chickpea to mine. Thanks, you got a new fan.
Thank you 🙂 Let me know how it turns out with the addition of chickpeas, think it will be delicious
You’re good 👍 Omote…