Spicy Fish and Okra Stew (Popular in Mali)

For five people (quantities for ten are given below)

500g salted dried fish
water for soaking
1L water for cooking
90ml vegetable oil
3 large onions, finely chopped
2 red chillies*, finely chopped (optional)
4 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
15 medium-sized okra pods, tops removed
* Discard the chilli seeds before chopping, if wished, to reduce their heat.

Method

1. Soak the fish overnight in plenty of water.
2. Drain the water then wash the fish to remove excess salt. Remove any bones from the fish.
3. Put the fish in 3/4 of the water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry half the finely chopped onions and the chopped chillies, if using, until the onion is golden.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Then stir in the remaining water and simmer slowly for about 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, simmer or steam the okra until soft and drain if necessary.
7. Mash the remaining onion with the okra and add them to the fish. Stir and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the fish has softened and the water has reduced a little.
8. Combine the onion/tomato/chilli mixture with the fish mixture. Serve if wished, with Gari Foto (see Side Dishes) (“gari” is also known as “fufu”) or serve with another type of dumpling.

Each serving provides:
Kcal: 380
Protein: 37.3g
Fat: 19.7g (of which saturates 2.2g)
Carbohydrate: 13.3g
Fibre: 3.2g

Nutrition points:

a) This dish contains a high amount of vitamin C.
b) This dish contains a medium amount of protein.
c) This dish has a low amount in saturated fat.

Serving Suggestion:

a) Instead of gari foto, fufu or another type of dumpling, you could enjoy this stew with rice, potatoes, maize (polenta) or bread.

For ten people

1kg salted dried fish
water for soaking
2L water for cooking
180ml vegetable oil
6 large onions, finely chopped
4 red chillies*, finely chopped (optional)
8 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
30 medium-sized okra pods, tops removed

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