🇹🇬 Togolese Cuisine

Palava Sauce

Spinach and Melon Seed Stew

Prep Time 50 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Calories 490 kcal

A luxuriously thick stew of spinach and ground melon seeds cooked in palm oil with smoked fish and crab, rich and deeply savory.

Ingredients

400g fresh spinach, chopped
150g ground egusi (melon seeds)
200g smoked fish, deboned
150g crab meat
3 large tomatoes, blended
1 large onion, diced
4 tbsp palm oil
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1 cup stock
Salt to taste

Instructions

1 Heat palm oil in a large pot, sauté onion 4 minutes until soft.
2 Add blended tomatoes and peppers, cook 10 minutes until oil separates.
3 Mix ground egusi with 3 tbsp water to form a paste, add to pot in spoonfuls.
4 Cook egusi 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oil floats on top.
5 Add smoked fish, crab meat, and stock, simmer 10 minutes.
6 Fold in chopped spinach, cook 5 minutes until wilted. Season and serve.

Did You Know?

The name palava comes from the Portuguese word palavra meaning talk or discussion, referencing how sharing this rich stew always sparks conversation.