Kontomire is a Twi word for the leaves of a cocoyam, which botanically is known as Colocasia esculenta. There are two species of cocoyams, namely the Colocasia specie, which originated in Southeast Asia, and the Xanthosoma specie, which originated in Central and South America. For whatever reason we don’t want to bother ourselves with today, the Colocasia species has found itself in Africa, and in Ghana, to be precise. While other parts of the world only consume the tubers, Ghana and a few other countries, including Nigeria, Liberia, Togo, and Cote Devoir, consume both the tubers and the leaves of a cocoyam. Ghana uses kontomire, the cocoyam leaf, for stew and soup.
Why is Kontomire used for Stew and Soup in Ghana?
You can consume both the roots and leaves of the tropical plant Kontomire. Even though people eat this to quench their hunger, it also contains a lot of nutrients that are important for growth and strength. Some of the nutrients in kontomire are vitamin C, E, B, A, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, protein, polyphenols, flavonoids, which serve as antioxidants, and so on. The health benefits of kontomire are immense. You can count on its immune support for heart health, bone health, blood health, skin health, weight management, and so on. Now let’s have a look at how to prepare the Kontomire stew, which is a very delicous delicacy in Ghana.
Utensils
- Saucepan
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Ladle and spoon
- Colander
- Blender
Ingredients
- 20 Kontomire leaves
- 5 tomatoes
- Turkey berries, about half of a cup ( Adding Turkey berries is optional)
- 5 medium size onions
- Pepper (pick the number according to how much you want pepper).
- 4 Eggs
- Half a cup of melon seeds ( Akatoa, Egusi, Agushie)
- Palm oil / Vegetable Oil
- 2 tea spoons of grounded shrimp
- Salt
Steps for preparation
Step 1
Soak your melon seeds and store them aside for a while. Then proceed to wash all your kontomire leaves and turkey berries thoroughly in salty water.
Step 2
On your chopping board, fold as many kontomire leaves you can together and cut them into pieaces in a manner like you are cutting cabbage.
Step 3
Get a saucepan with a small amount of water in it that is enough to boil your kontomire leaves. Now pour your chopped Kontomire leaves, along with the turkey berries, into the saucepan and set it on fire. Wait about eight minutes and stir to see if it’s well cooked. If it is, you can now bring it down from the fire and pour all the contents of the saucepan into your colander to strain off the water. Now separate the turkey berries into another bowl and pour the kontomire back into the saucepan.
Step 4
After washing your tomatoes and peppers, mix them together with two onions and the cooked turkey berries. And put it on standby.
Step 5
At this point, you can bring out your soaked melon seeds and blend them with a little water so that it can look like a paste after blending.
Step 6
Divide your salmon fish into halves, further break them into smaller sizes, and put them on standby.
Step 7
Whether you choose to use vegetable oil or palm oil, pour a reasonable amount of it into a saucepan and put it on fire. Slice one onion into pieces and pour it into the oil. Let the onions fry until they are tender; this frying should take about one minute. Now add your blended tomatoes, peppers, onions, and turkey berries to the hot oil that is still on fire, and gently stir it with your ladle to mix with the oil.
Step 8
Add the salmon fish you broke into smaller sizes in step 6, and also add the grounded shrimp if you decided to include it as your ingredient. Now, depending on your preference, add some salt and stir again to uniformly distribute these ingredients to all parts of the stew in the saucepan.
Step 9
Break all four eggs into an empty bowl, add your blended turkey berries, and mix them gently with a spoon.
Step 10
Pour your eggs and turkey berry mixture into the kontomire stew and wait 7 to 8 minutes before stirring. You can also slice one more onion, add it to the stew, and stir. If you think your oil is too small, you can add a little more. However, if you find it acceptable, continue to wait for approximately five more minutes, after which your kontomire stew should be ready.
