This is a popular dish of the Yoruba, one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.
Essential to Nigerian cuisine, unrefined red palm oil gets its color from naturally occurring beta carotene.
For a vegetarian version, substitute 1 pound sliced mushrooms for the beef and use vegetable bouillon cubes.
Photo: Photographer / Greg DuPree, Food Stylist / Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke
In Step 3, simmer the mushrooms in the sauce for 5 minutes.
Heat palm oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the diced onion and iru; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in tomato sauce, water, bouillon cubes, salt and Cameroon pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add beef to the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Add spinach, in batches, stirring to distribute the sauce evenly.
Simmer until the spinach has wilted, about 10 minutes.
Add the onion skin and cook until it is dark brown, about 3 minutes.
Remove the onion skin with a slotted spoon and discard.
Place a wire rack atop a baking sheet (or a paper-towel-lined plate) near the stove.
Working in batches, add plantains to the hot oil.
Cook, flipping once, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Transfer to the rack (or plate) with a slotted spoon or tongs to drain.
Repeat with the remaining plantains.
Serve the fried plantains with the spinach mixture.
Its high smoke point makes it a good choice for frying.
Cameroon pepper is made by grinding fiery dried Scotch bonnet chiles.
Findplantainsat large supermarkets or Latin markets.
A ripe plantain has black-yellow skin.
To peel, slice off both ends and cut into 3-inch lengths.
Using the tip of a paring knife, cut 4 lengthwise slits along each piece.
Soak in ice water for 3 to 5 minutes to loosen the skin.
Remove from the water and peel.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
