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Sierra Leonean · West African

Cassava leaf stew

Non-vegetarian

Finely pounded cassava leaves slow-cooked in palm oil with beef, smoked fish, onion and hot pepper until dark, soft and rich. Sierra Leone's national favourite, served over white rice.

Cassava leaf stew is a Sierra Leonean stew, ready in about 2 hours 10 minutes and made with cassava leaves and red palm oil. It serves 5 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 50 min
Total
2 h 10 min
Serves
5
Level
Intermediate
Calories
489

Ingredients

5 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the beef in a heavy pot with half the onion (opens in a new tab), 1 tsp salt and the water. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the cassava leaves (opens in a new tab), stir well and simmer, stirring every 10 minutes and adding water if it gets dry, for 50 minutes until the leaves are soft and no longer taste raw.

    • 50 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Cassava leaves contain natural cyanide compounds; pounding and long cooking makes them safe — never shorten this step.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the palm oil (opens in a new tab), remaining onion (opens in a new tab), chilli, smoked fish and remaining salt. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the stew is thick and glossy and the oil rises, about 25 minutes.

    • 25 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the peanut butter (opens in a new tab) if using, cook 5 minutes more and serve over rice.

    • 5 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Sierra Leone · Commonly attributedCassava leaf stews are also central to Liberian, Guinean and Central African (pondu / saka saka) cooking; this is the Sierra Leonean style.Also popular in Liberia, GuineaMore food from Sierra Leone
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Simmered, Boiled
Taste
earthy, savoury, smoky, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No nut ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Cassava leaves · Red palm oil · Beef chuck · Onion · Fresh red chilli · Mackerel
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom mackerel
  • Contains, can be adapted: Peanutsfrom peanut butter

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

489 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 611 g · recipe makes 5

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 27%
  • Carbohydrate 15%
  • Fat 58%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy489 kcal80 kcal
Protein33.7 g5.5 g
Carbohydrate18.6 g3 g
Net carbohydrate9.3 g1.5 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre9.3 g1.5 g
Fat32.7 g5.4 g
Saturated fat14.1 g2.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol92 mg15 mg
Sodium1065 mg174 mg
Salt equivalent2.7 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1378 mg
Calcium
178 mg
Iron
4.5 mg
Magnesium
173 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
326 µg
Vitamin C
24 mg
Vitamin D
6.5 µg
Vitamin B12
5.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
14 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: peanut butter, long-grain white rice.
  • Cassava leaves: Raw sweet potato leaves (FDC 169303) used as a stand-in; cassava leaves are a similar dark leafy green but are higher in protein. Always cook cassava leaves thoroughly.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Frozen ground cassava leaves from African grocers save the laborious pounding.

Common mistakes

  • Shortening the leaf-cooking time: undercooked cassava leaves taste raw and are not safe.

Serve with

  • Serve over plain white rice.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months; it tastes even better the next day.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently, stirring, with a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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