Oil Less Efo Riro (Spinach Sauce)

Oil Less Efo Riro (Spinach Sauce)

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You were good and ready to make some efo riro… You had spinach which had been blanched, drained, squeezed to remove the excess water and chopped, cooked assorted meat set aside, dry fish of life soaking in water, onion chopped, onion and pepper mix roughly blended and the pot on the heat…. You reach for some palm oil from the cupboard or pantry and nothing as in nada, not even the empty bottle! You realize you had used the last palm oil in the ogbono soup a few days before! Kai! This soup needs to be cooked any which way….

You reach for some vegetable oil and then you hesitate “vegetable oil inside soup wey we wan use chop swallow”? …Anyway, you pour with caution, 2 or 3 tablespoons for the sake of the onion…. You add more onion because whatever you loose in the richness of the palm oil, you want to make up for in flavor. You proceed in cooking the soup; you saute the chopped onion, add the roughly blended pepper and onion and cook. You add the dryfish and a good dose of ground crayfish, a little salt and stock cube, you taste! Hmm, this soup is tasting yummy “sha”! You never esperredit! In goes the assorted meat to soak in some of the flavors of the soup and then the spinach is mixed in a short while later and everything comes together to make one tasty soup and you dont miss the oil as well as everyone else who “partakes”.  You know this by the finger-licking!

…Now it doesn’t end there, it becomes a special request at home every week and your “signature” soup! That’s the story between me and this soup and i am loving it. I mean, whats not to love? Its healthy, absolutely delicious on its own and goes with just about anything; plantain (boiled or fried) yam, rice, pasta, sweet potatoes etcetera etcetera! Now, it really could be your own “signature” soup too. You are welcome to try! 🙂

Here goes the easy recipe!

5.0 from 1reviews

Oil Less Efo Riro (Spinach Sauce)

Tasty efo riro (spinach sauce) with minimal oil and full of flavor! Absolutely moreish but guilt free!

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 20 to 24 cups Spinach or Green (Tete) (About 2 pounds/ 908 grams)
• 1 large piece of dry fish (Asa or Other)
• 11/2 Large Onion
• 6 Tatashe or 5 Red Chili Peppers with ½ Red Bell Peppers (Completely deseeded)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Vegetable or Olive Oil
• 6 Tablespoons ground dry Crayfish
• 10 grams Stock Cubes (Seafood preferably)
• 1 tsp Salt
• Cooked Assorted Meat

Instructions

1. Bring about 2.5 liters of water to boil in a large pot or saucepan. Wash spinach or green thoroughly then add to the pot of boiling water. Stir to ensure the spinach is completely covered in the boiling water, cover, take off the heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile soak dryfish then chop ½ on the onion and set aside. Cut the remain onion into large chunks with the peppers and roughly blend in a blender.Pour into a sieve placed over a bowl to remove excess liquid. Reserve the liquid as you might need some of it later.
3. In a medium pot or saucepan, over medium heat, add the oil and saute the chopped onion in it to soften. Add the drained pepper and onion to the sauce pan and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, Add the washed and drained dryfish, crayfish, stock cube and salt during this time. If the liquid completely dries out, add a little of the drained liquid from the pepper and onion.
4. While the pepper cooks, drain the spinach or green, refresh with cool water from the tap and squeeze the spinach in about 3 to 4 batches to remove excess water then chop the spinach. Add the assorted meat to the cooking pepper mix and allow to cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach ensuring everything is properly combined, adding a little more of the drained liquid if you require and allow to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning then take of the heat. Serve hot on its own or with your preferred accompaniment.