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Ghanaian · West African

Kontomire stew

Non-vegetarian

Chopped cocoyam leaves cooked in palm oil with tomatoes, onions and ground agushi (melon seeds), often with smoked fish and boiled eggs. A Ghanaian everyday stew served with boiled yam, plantain or rice.

Kontomire stew is a Ghanaian stew, ready in about 55 minutes and made with taro leaves, red palm oil and egusi (ground melon seeds). It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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A vibrant African dish featuring meat stew and greens in a unique leaf-shaped bowl.
Photo: Tochukwu Ekeh / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
353

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Boil the chopped cocoyam leaves in a little water for 15 minutes until soft, then drain and squeeze out the liquid.

    Food safety: Taro leaves must be thoroughly cooked — raw or undercooked leaves irritate the mouth and throat.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the palm oil (opens in a new tab) and fry the onion (opens in a new tab) for 3 minutes, then add tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and chilli and cook down to a thick sauce.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Spoon in the agushi (opens in a new tab) paste with the water and cook, stirring gently, until it forms curds, about 6 minutes.

    • 6 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the leaves, smoked fish and salt and simmer 5 minutes. Nestle in the boiled eggs (opens in a new tab) to warm through and serve.

    • 6 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Ghana · Well documentedMore food from Ghana
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Boiled
Taste
earthy, nutty, savoury, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Taro leaves · Red palm oil · Egusi (ground melon seeds) · Onion · Tomato · Fresh red chilli
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom mackerel

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

353 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 309 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 14%
  • Carbohydrate 18%
  • Fat 68%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy353 kcal114 kcal
Protein13 g4.2 g
Carbohydrate17.6 g5.7 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat28.8 g9.3 g
Saturated fat11.2 g3.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium612 mg198 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1198 mg
Calcium
163 mg
Iron
4.6 mg
Magnesium
173 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
340 µg
Vitamin C
82 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
188 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: mackerel, egg.
  • Egusi (ground melon seeds): Dried watermelon seed kernels (FDC 169407) used as a stand-in; egusi comes from closely related Citrullus melons and has a similar oil- and protein-rich composition.
  • “—” 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

  • Add the boiled eggs whole or halved at the end so they warm through without going rubbery.

Common mistakes

  • Undercooking the cocoyam leaves — they itch the throat unless fully boiled first.

Serve with

  • Serve with boiled yam, boiled green plantain (ampesi) or rice.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Reheating

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

Variations

  • Kontomire abomu: A coarser version mashed in an earthenware bowl (asanka) with raw onion, chilli and palm oil.

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, 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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