Amazing Street Food - Nigerian EFO RIRO in Lagos ( African Spinach Stew )

Efo riro (Nigerian Spinach Stew) is a mouthwatering, savory, African stew made with spinach and is oh so flavorful! Who knew spinach could taste so good?

What Is Efo Riro?
Efo Riro is a Yoruba word and it loosely means ‘stirred spinach’. In Nigeria, the vegetables used for Efo Riro are 'Efo Shoko' (Lagos spinach) or 'Efo Tete' (African spinach).
These are the local spinach varieties that are very popular and easily available. In other parts of the world, any spinach greens will do.
This African stew is popular in some West African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon. The recipes are similar with only slight differences but my version is commonly made in Nigeria among the Yoruba tribe.
It is very easy to make and you will be amazed by how delicious this spinach stew is. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe!
Ingredients Used In Making Efo Riro (Nigerian Spinach Stew)
● Spinach: I use roughly 8 cups of chopped spinach. You can use fresh or frozen spinach.
● Meat: You can use beef, lamb, goat meat, chicken, smoked catfish, tripe (shaki), or any meat of your choice, or even mix and match! For a vegan option, you can leave out the meat or use mushrooms.
● Palm oil: The traditional recipe calls for palm oil but I have made this spinach stew with olive oil and it still turned out delicious!
● Vegetables: Plum (roma) tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero peppers, and onions. Plum tomatoes are best for Nigerian stews because they are denser and have less juice.
● Broth: Just a bit for flavor and to reduce the chance of the stew burning when using fresh spinach.
● Spices: I used bouillon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground crayfish, and salt. Ground crayfish is a Nigerian condiment similar to fish sauce, which you can get from an African store or from Amazon. You can omit this if you don't have any. I also use crushed red pepper flakes as an optional garnish.