Spinach Agushi Curry and Grilled Plantain
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
350ml uncooked Chalé Sauce
100g or about 2 heaped tablespoons agushi (dried ground melon seeds)
8 guinea peppers (grand grains of selim), crushed (optional)
juice of 1 lime
150–300ml water or good-quality vegetable stock, if required
200g baby leaf spinach
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground
black pepper to taste
Grilled plantain (optional)
4–6 ripe plantains
1 tablespoon Kelewele Spice Mix
½ tablespoon dried chilli flakes
sea salt
coconut oil (melted) and olive oil, for drizzling
METHOD
Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan and add the coconut oil. When it has melted, add the onion and sauté over a medium heat for a few minutes until softened, then add the curry and chilli powders and stir well. Stir in the chalé sauce and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes.
Gently stir in the agushi, using the back of a wooden spoon to break down any lumps that may form – the sauce should start to turn creamy and resemble scrambled eggs. Add the guinea peppers, if using, and the lime juice. Leave to simmer over a medium heat for a further 10 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add the water or vegetable stock a little at a time to loosen it. The colour of the stew will have changed from pink to a mustard colour.
Stir in the spinach and sea salt and black pepper, then simmer gently until the spinach has wilted. Meanwhile, prepare the grilled plantain, if making. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Using a sharp knife, peel the plantains by cutting the tips off each end and slicing through the skin lengthways (avoid cutting into the flesh), then use your hands to remove the skin.
Cut the plantains in half lengthways. Rub with the ground ginger, chilli flakes and sea salt, and drizzle with coconut or olive oil. Grill for 12–15 minutes, turning over halfway through. Serve alongside the spinach curry