Kontomire or Nkotomire has always been a force to reckon with in the locale food scene but with the President of Ghana listing it as a special food that could boost the immune system its becoming critically essential.
As the world battles, the COVID-19 virus, foods rich in bodybuilding nutrients, exercises and good personal hygiene have been recommended by experts to help people fight against the virus.
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Kontomire leaves are harvested off the Taro or cocoyam plant. Much like every green leafy vegetable, Kontomire is rich in vitamin A. It also has a good store of vitamins C, B1, B6, niacin, riboflavin amongst others with a reputation for protecting the immune system, controlling blood pressure, etc. Â
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Our resident food writer, Ms Alice Johnson shares her special Nkontomire recipe with readers.
But how is this popular stew made? First of, you would need
1 pound Kontomire
1 and half cup ground Agushi (Melon seeds)
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup Palm oil
One large sized Koobi
1 large sized bulb onion, sliced or chopped
8 medium sized tomatoes
Kpako shitor/chilli pepper
Fried fresh fish pieces
Salt to taste
How to prepare Kontomire
1. Thoroughly wash and chop Kontomire into favorable sizes
2. Pour the Agushi into a bowl, add lukewarm water to it and leave to soak.
3. Heat palm oil in a saucepan and add sliced or chopped onions and Koobi. Wash and remove all bones from the koobi as much as possible if you add your Koobi at this stage. Others prefer to add the koobi at the latter stages so that it is still whole and intact.
4. Allow the ingredients in the hot oil steam on fire for a while and add your ground tomatoes and pepper to it. Add your seasoning cube of choice and stir. Some cooks add ground ginger, garlic and a host of their preferred natural spices at this point . Allow to simmer for about 3 minutes
5. Pour your soaked agushi, which is now pastelike into the steaming sauce. It is essential to allow the agushi to cook for as long as possible. This ensures it is well done before adding any other ingredients because of the long cook-span of agushi. We wouldn’t want a situation where our stew is not done, would we?
6. After a while, stir the stew, salt to taste and add your fried fish pieces to it. Not too long after, add your chopped Kontomire pieces to the stew and allow to cook until ready.
Kontomire is enjoyed with boiled yam, ripe or unripe plantain or rice, with avocado pieces or hard boiled eggs on the side. It can also be eaten with Eba, Kenkey and banku.
Also, the Kontomire leaves can be substituted for other leaves like Kale, collard or spinach with results as healthy and nutritious as with Kontomire.
Feel free to experiment with the vast array of choices Palaver sauce presents. Wash down with a glass or orange juice. Bon appetit!
