Derived from Yoruba language in Nigeria. Efo means 'green leafy vegetable' and Riro means 'to stir' so basically 'stirred vegetable’... It is stirred into a Pepper sauce base with small pieces of meat and smoked stock fish. You can also make it vegan by simply using meaty alternatives like Tofu and Mushrooms.
Pounded Yam (not Fufu): A popular Nigerian dish made from a specie of white Yam called Puna Yam. Traditionally it is boiled and pounded into a dough, like mashed potatoes but denser. These days you can buy yam flour and just stir into boiling hot water to make the dough.
Efo Riro with West African Pepper Sauce
This pounded yam looks like it spent some time in France looking like a French baguette – haha!
Ingredients
- 1 pack of West African Pepper Sauce
- Chopped Onions
- Chopped Spinach (or any leafy greens of your choice)
- Locust beans (iru)
- Crayfish ground
- Cooked meat or meat alternative of your choice. We used smoked turkey, chunks of beef and shrimp.
The other ingredients used for this recipe can be purchased via mychopchop.ca, an online Afro-Caribbean grocer.
Directions
- Pour one pack of Pepper Sauce into a pan and warm up on low heat.
- Add the chopped onions and locust beans.
- Cook for 5 mins.
- Stir in ground crayfish and meats
- Stir in Chopped spinach and turn off heat so just steam cooks the spinach (you do not want it over cooked).
Voila!! Your Efo Riro is ready 😍