Dried Ugwu (Pumpkin Leaves)

This recipe brings together the heart of Papabrowne’s pantry — bold, home-style flavors that taste like tradition. A rich, comforting stew with mackerel, simmered in a tomato base, paired with the nutty aroma of Ofada rice. Perfect for family meals or Sunday gatherings. Ingredients (serves 4): 2 cups Papabrowne Premium Ofada Rice 2 cans Papabrowne Mackerel (in oil or brine) 4 tbsp Papabrowne Tomato Paste 2 tbsp Papabrowne Palm Oil (for depth of flavor) 2 tbsp Papabrowne Sunflower Oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1-2 fresh chili peppers (adjust to spice preference) 1 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper 1 tsp salt (to taste) Optional garnish: sliced green onions or fresh herbs Papabrowne Sweet Yellow Plantain Chips (served on the side for a crunchy finish) Directions: Cook the Rice Rinse the Ofada rice thoroughly. Add 2 cups of rice to 4 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Cook on medium heat until tender (about 25–30 minutes). Set aside. Prepare the Stew Base In a pot, heat palm oil and sunflower oil together until hot but not smoking. Add onions and sauté until golden. Stir in garlic, chili peppers, and tomato paste. Cook until the paste darkens slightly and releases its aroma. Add the Mackerel Drain mackerel and gently fold into the sauce. Break into large chunks (don’t overmix to keep pieces intact). Season with paprika and salt. Simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bring It Together Serve the rich mackerel stew over warm Ofada rice. Pair with Papabrowne sweet yellow plantain chips on the side for a touch of sweetness and crunch. Note: You may start with 3 cups of water and add the 4th as needed while cooking if you would like as this may reduce cook time but will require a closer eye and more stirring. *Cooking time may vary depending on the stove top and the conditions in the kitchen. Elevation and humidity effect cooking times.

Ingredients Proteins 500 g cow foot (trotters), cut into pieces 300 g cow meat, cut into chunks 300 g goat meat, cut into chunks 300 g beef, cut into chunks 2 cups pomo (cow skin), cleaned and cut 1 cup stockfish pieces (pre-soaked if dry) 2 medium fresh mackerel (about 400 g total) ½ cup smoked fish, flaked (optional) ½ cup soaked dried prawns (optional) Vegetables and Peppers 7 bundles fresh spinach (about 800 g), roughly chopped 3 red bell peppers 1 red paprika pepper 3 medium red chilies 2 scotch bonnet peppers (ata rodo) 2 medium onions (1 for meat, 1 for sauce) Seasonings and Spices 2 teaspoons thyme 2–3 seasoning cubes (Maggi or Knorr), or to taste 1 tablespoon locust beans (iru) 2 tablespoons ground crayfish (plus 1 tablespoon extra for finishing) 1–2 teaspoons salt, or to taste Cooking Base 1 cup palm oil (adjust to preference)   Instructions 1. Prep and Boil the Meats: Use cow foot, cow meat, goat meat, and beef. Season with chopped onions, 1 scotch bonnet pepper for mild heat and flavor, salt, bouillon cubes, and thyme. Simmer for 15–20 minutes without much water so the meat sweats and absorbs seasoning. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add more water and cook until the meat is soft. Remove all meats into a bowl except the cow foot, which takes longer to cook. Add stockfish and pomo (cow skin) into the same pot with the cow foot and cook together until soft. 2. Grill or Fry the Meat (Optional) You may use the meat boiled, or you can fry or grill them. To grill, place in the oven at 180°C for about 20 minutes. Do not let them dry out, lightly browned but still juicy inside. 3. Prepare the Pepper Mix Use 3 bell peppers, 1 paprika, 3 chilies, 2 scotch bonnet peppers, and onions. Coarsely blend using a food processor or blender with pulse function. Do not fully blend because spinach releases water and can make the soup watery. A coarse texture helps the soup hold better. 4. Prepare the Spinach Use about 7 bundles of spinach (it shrinks a lot). Roughly chop the leaves, not too fine, because it will wilt during cooking. Blanch the spinach by pouring hot water over it and washing thoroughly to remove dirt. Immediately add cold water and ice to stop the cooking process. Squeeze out as much water as possible until almost dry. This prevents the soup from becoming watery. 5. Prepare the Mackerel Use fresh mackerel. Season lightly with only salt because mackerel has natural flavor. Grill in the oven for about 14 minutes at 180°C. Set aside. 6. Start the Stew Base Place a pan on medium heat and add palm oil. Once the oil is hot, add chopped onions and fry for a maximum of 2 minutes. Add locust beans (iru). Add crayfish and fry for no more than 30 seconds to avoid burning. Add the blended pepper mix and stir well. Season with bouillon cubes and salt. Do not add curry powder if using palm oil, unless you prefer it. 7. Add Stockfish Early (Optional) Add the partially cooked stockfish into the pepper mixture to deepen the flavor. Cover with a splatter guard, not a tight lid, so steam can escape. Fry the stew for about 20 minutes. The stew is ready when it reduces in quantity and oil rises to the top. 8. Add Proteins Add the cooked meats, smoked fish (if using), and soaked prawns. Stir well to combine. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend 9.  Add the Spinach Add the well-drained spinach into the stew. Stir thoroughly to combine with the sauce and meats. Add crayfish powder and adjust salt if needed. Simmer for just 1 minute to avoid overcooking the vegetables. 10. Serve Your Efi Riro is ready. Serve hot with pounded yam, eba, semo, fufu, or any swallow of your choice.

Ingredients For the Goat Meat 2–3 kg goat meat (cut into chunks) 2 medium onions 2–3 beef bouillon cubes (or to taste) Salt (to taste) Oil (for frying or air frying) For the Rice 3 cups Papabrowne Golden Sella Basmati Rice Meat stock (from boiled goat meat) Salt (to taste) For the Pepper Mix 3–4 red bell peppers (tatashe) 5–6 scotch bonnet peppers (atarodo) 1 medium onion   Blend roughly in a food processor — the texture should be coarse, not smooth. Divide into two portions: one for the rice, one for the goat meat. For the Smoked and Dried Additions 1 cup dried catfish (deboned and softened) ½ cup dried prawns (washed in hot water) 1 smoked mackerel (optional, deboned) For the Rice Base (Seasoning and Frying) 1 cup dried catfish (deboned and softened) ½ cup dried prawns (washed in hot water) 1 smoked mackerel (optional, deboned) For the Vegetables (Optional) 1 cup chopped kale, spinach, or ugu (pumpkin leaf)   Instructions For the Peppered Goat Meat Sauce Remaining half of the pepper mix 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 beef bouillon cube (or to taste) Salt (to taste) Extra oil for frying if needed   Using Papabrowne Golden Sella Basmati Rice:       1. Cook the Goat Meat: Add goat meat to a pot. Season with: Chopped Onion Beef bouillon cubes Salt A little water Mix well, cover, and steam on low heat for 15 minutes. Add more water and cook for another 20 minutes or until soft. Remove the meat and set aside.        2. Cook the Rice (Papabrowne Golden Sella Basmati) Lightly rinse the rice 1–2 times (optional, just to remove excess starch). Pour the rice into the goat meat stock. Add a bit of salt and extra water if needed. Cook on medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, or until soft and fluffy. Fluff the rice and set aside.        3. Make the Pepper Mix Add bell peppers, scotch bonnet, and onion into a food processor. Rough blend, the texture should be rough, not smooth. Divide the pepper mix into two portions: One for the rice One for the goat meat       4. Prepare Smoked / Dried Ingredients Dried Catfish: soak in hot water for 20–30 minutes, debone, soak again if needed. Dried Prawns: rinse with hot water. Smoked Mackerel (optional): debone and set aside.       5. Cook the Native Rice Base Heat palm oil. Add chopped onions, crayfish powder, and iru (locust beans) - OPTIONAL. I personally don’t like iru, but most people love the traditional flavor. Add it if you enjoy it. Fry for 2–3 minutes until onions soften. Add the first half of the pepper mix. Season lightly with salt and beef bouillon cubes. Fry 5–10 minutes until the pepper darkens, stirring often. Add dried fish, dried prawns, and smoked mackerel. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low-medium heat. Add cooked rice and mix thoroughly. Stir-fry 5 minutes to give it a fried rice feel (use a wide pot; slightly cooled rice works best). Add vegetables (kale, Ugu, spinach) or skip.  Rice is ready.        6. Make the Peppered Goat Meat Fry or air fry/grill the boiled goat meat until crispy and golden. If you choose to fry the meat, reduce the oil in the pan and return it to the heat. If not, place a clean pan on the stove, add oil, and heat it up. Add the remaining pepper mix. Season with salt, onion powder, and a little beef bouillon. Add a bit more oil if needed. Fry 3–4 minutes to remove sour taste (but keep it fresh). Add fried goat meat and mix well. Add a splash of water. Cover and steam on low for 5 minutes. Peppered goat meat is ready.        7. Serve Serve the rich, smoky palm oil rice with spicy, crispy peppered goat meat.  

Ingredients Goat meat, beef, or chicken – 1 kg Stockfish – 1 to 2 pieces (soaked) Dried catfish – 1 to 2 pieces Pomo (cow skin) – 2 cups, cleaned and chopped Papabrowne Palm Oil – ½ to ¾ cup Cocoyam – 6 to 8 medium corms (or cocoyam powder) Crayfish – 3 tablespoons (divided into two portions) Uziza seeds – 1 teaspoon, ground Uziza leaves – a small handful, chopped Oha leaves – 2 cups, hand-torn (do not cut with a knife) Cameroon pepper – ½ teaspoon (or to taste) Fresh yellow and red peppers – 3 to 5 pieces Ogiri (fermented locust beans) – 1 teaspoon (optional but recommended) Seasoning cubes or powder – to taste Salt – to taste Onion – 1 medium (for boiling meat)   Instructions 1. Boil the Meat Boil goat meat, beef, or chicken with pomo, stockfish, salt, seasoning cubes, and onion. Add enough water to cover, and cook until the meat is almost soft. Add dried catfish and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes so all the flavors come together. 2. Prepare the Cocoyam Paste Boil cocoyam until soft. Peel and pound or blend into a smooth paste. If using cocoyam powder, mix with warm water to form a thick paste. Set aside. 3. Prepare the Pepper Mix Blend crayfish, uziza seeds, fresh yellow and red peppers, and a little onion into a smooth paste. Set aside. 4. Add the Blended Mix Add the blended crayfish, pepper, and uziza mixture into the pot of cooked meat and stock. Add ogiri and Cameroon pepper. Stir and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes to release a deep aroma. 5. Add Cocoyam Paste Scoop small portions of the cocoyam paste into the pot. Stir gently and allow it to dissolve slowly. Cook until the soup starts to thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes. If the soup becomes too thick, add a bit of water. 6. Add Papabrowne Palm Oil Pour in Papabrwone Palm Oil and let it boil gently for 3 to 5 minutes. This palm oil gives the soup a rich, earthy flavor and that beautiful golden-red color. Allow it to blend smoothly into the soup so the raw taste disappears. 7. Finish with the Leaves Add uziza leaves first, stir, then add the torn oha leaves. Turn off the heat immediately after mixing so the residual heat can soften the oha perfectly and keep its bright green color.   Final Tips Do not overcook the oha leaves; they should stay fresh and green. Papabrowne Palm Oil adds a deep, smoky flavor, so you don’t need to use too much. Split your crayfish into two portions; half early and half at the end and for a rich layered taste.