Red Spinach Efo Riro for Lunch

Okay, so I made some Red Spinach Efo Riro, a really delicious, exotic and extremely nutritious vegetable dish....seriously, this is one of those dishes I have eaten that I literally feel myself getting "younger" hehehe...., that's how much overloaded the dish is with antioxidants.

I now regularly eat this wonderful vegetable dish and have decided to share some pictures of how I enjoy eating it.......

Serving suggestions: serve generous amounts with pounded yam, gari. plantain. boiled yam, semovita, fufu, amala, boiled rice etc

Red Spinach Efo Riro with Plantain Shards

Red Spinach Efo Riro with Gari

Green & Red Spinach Efo Riro

Red Spinach Efo Riro with Pounded Yam

Red Spinach Efo Riro

Efo riro is one of the most popular vegetable dishes favoured by Nigerians particularly the Yoruba people of Western Nigeria. Its essentially made with green leafy vegetables with a combination of dried fish meat and other preferred sources of protein.

The  most often used green leafy vegetable for efo riro include all varieties of amaranth greens (including tete and soko), spinach and I have also successfully made efo riro using kale, collard greens and other leafy vegetables available really. But I have to stress that the Yorubas prefer amaranth greens to make the most sumptuous efo riro dish, and this is because the leaves are just well suited.

Red & Green Spinach (Amaranth)

So having discovered Red Spinach recently through my exciting culinary adventure, it was only a matter of time that I would be cooking a different, exotic and scintillating version of the much loved efo riro..... and I tell you its just divine.

Method: so the same exact method and ingredients used for making the traditional efo riro was used, you know creating the base sauce made with peppers, tomatoes, dried fish, locust beans, palm oil etc. For the red spinach, I plucked the leaves off the stalk, and chop into shreds. After washing them off debris and other foreign matters, I blanched the leaves in the microwave inside a Ziploc food bag. I chose to use this method of blanching to help retain some other vitamins that regular blanching would have depleted. Also I was really keen to help keep the bright red colour.

Colour: the colour of the resulting dish is excitingly bright red. Surprisingly, the color did not tarnish or darken with cooking or over a few days of storage in the fridge. The high pigmentation in red spinach indicates very high levels of beneficial phyto-chemicals which often have antioxidant properties.

Taste: The other surprising thing is that the taste of my red spinach efo riro was not significantly different in comparison to the green spinach efo riro. When blind folded, you really would not notice any major or striking difference. However, its useful to note that the red efo riro has a slightly more earthy flavour.

Versatility: Red Spinach efo riro can pretty much be eaten in the same way you eat the green efo riro. Serve with rice, boiled yam, plantain, and of course different types swallows such as pounded yam, gari, amala, semolina etc

You've got to try it....

Red & Green Amaranth Efo Riro

Plantain Shards with Red Spinach Efo Riro

I love exploring new things, new food ingredients, new techniques, and such and such.....that is just the way I am....!

I eat plantains regularly, not only because they represent one of the most staple sources of carbohydrates in Nigerian cooking, but also because they are versatile to use in different dishes, are extremely delicious and most importantly, they are a healthy source of slow release energy.

I have so many plantain recipes (check them out here), and I continue to explore new ones to suit my taste, preference, mood etcetera.

So in this recipe, quite simply, I cut plantains in the form of shards and deep fry them. I always fry my plantains with my oil of choice, coconut oil. I imagine you can cook the plantain shards by roasting, baking or boiling..... You are sure to achieve an equally fantastic dish.

Plantains as I said earlier, are very versatile to serve with a range of different soups/stews or other dishes like pottages and hotpots.

Well, after having discovered the wonders of Red Spinach, I made some Efo Riro out of them, and I tell you, they tasted equally delicious, you wont know the difference except for the intense deep red colour, and trust me you will be benefiting immensely from the overload of nutrients that this vegetable packs.

Anyway, I served my deep fried plantain shards with red spinach efo riro, and it was exotic and delicious.

Try it out..

What to do

• For the shards, you need just ripe plantains that are still firm to the touch, So i peeled them whole and then cut them into 3 equal parts (or perhaps two depending on the size of the plantain.
• To make the shards, I cut through diagonally, each of the previously cut 2/3 chunks then I deep fried in coconut oil. Ensure the oil is not too hot so that the plantain can cook deep within its core.
• Remove fried plantains and lay out on some kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

Plating

• Arrange carefully on a plate in a circular shape, and serve some red spinach efo riro in the center. Garnish with some tender shoots from the red spinach bunch.
• Enjoy

Red Spinach, Seafood Pepper Soup

So now that I have discovered the goodness of Red Spinach.....I went to work on how best to put it to use and to start getting all the goodness it offers. Read more about Red Spinach here

Red spinach is loosely called that, but really it is red amaranths, and thus can be used, cooked and eaten in similar ways.

The first red spinach recipe am sharing with you is the Red Spinach Seafood Pepper Soup

I could literally feel my age drop as I ate this soup, each table spoon added days to my year......really, really hehehe. This is because it is so intense in its colour, taste and flavour. And because I know that the brilliant colour of the soup is an indication of the richness and goodness of the soup....its packed full of minerals and vitamins vital to good health and for fighting signs of aging..!

Whereas people tend to discard the some-worth dark coloured water created by cooking green amaranth, on the other hand, the deep coloured water created by cooking red amaranth is priceless in its nutritional value and also its visual appeal.....

The recipe is so simple and straight forward....

Its as simple as adding some handful of finely shredded red spinach to some freshly made seafood pepper soup, simmer until the leaves soften, then serve hot preferably with some eko or agidi.

Simpy divine....a must try

Red Spinach - Super Food

In Nigeria, we are all aware of the amaranth greens, locally called tete. Green tete is the most common one, found/sold  in every vegetable market and loosely referred to as greens or spinach. Read more about Amaranth Greens here.

The other day, I went to get some fresh seafood at the Under-bridge Fish Market, just off Ozumba Mbadiwe road in Victoria Island Lagos, and I was delighted to see red spinach on display.

But before actually seeing and cooking with them, I had read a lot about them online in the past. I discovered that they are one of the super foods coming out of Africa!

So finally, I was able to purchase some and experiment with them. I blanched them and cooked them just like the more familiar green variety and I was really pleased with eating them. They tasted just the same, that you could not tell the different in taste and flavour, other than, the red variety was a tad more earthy.

So why Red Spinach.....?

My first response is why not...? They are available and they offer one more option for those who look for variety in their diet.

More importantly, in addition to all the nutrients and goodness offered by green amaranths, the red variety brings a lot more to the table, literally. The red intense color indicates its high content of Vitamin A and also anthocyanins which are very important nutrients that work against free radicals in the body.

Different uses:

• The young tender shoots of the red spinach are great in salads for their earthy taste and flavour as well a the beautifly color thye add
• They also make excellent garnishes, again providing some really pretty color and appeal to food
• As expeceted, they are great in soups and stews to accompany other dishes
• They are great for making side vegetable dishes.
• They can be cooked along with fish or meat

Why you should eat more Red Spinach

• They are more nutritious than the common green variety; and have incredibly high levels of vitamin A, Calcium, iron and fibre
• They will add variety to your diet
• They are believed to possess a lot of medicinal properties ranging from aiding digestion to relieving constipation, and can be used to combat anemia.
• On a more superficial front, red spinach is believed to help strengthen hair, great for skin and also thought to help with weight loss.