Okra Stew

Okra stews and soups come in all different shapes and sizes, maybe not shapes and sizes but many people have different renditions to it. I didn’t even know there were different approaches to okra stew before I actually started to look around. It was always done one way at home and eaten with one type of starch, but exploring the use of okra has allowed me to see how different people use it. Now okra is one of the more popular African dishes that more and more people are familiarizing themselves.

If you are curious as to what okra is and want to learn all about it, this recipe is for you. This is also an okra stew recipe for the non okra stew lover. It is not too sliperry, it is packed with a ton of flavour and it is also the perfect introduction to an Africa preparation of okra.

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What is Okra

In Ghana, I always knew okra as okro, both words are used interchangeably. Okra is a green seed pod that is edible. It’s place of origination has been disputed. People are not sure whether it is from West Africa, East Africa or even South East Asia. Regardless of where it is from, it holds a special place in West Africa cuisine with different cultures across the region having their own way of creating recipes with it. The use of okra across the Americas and West Africa also highlights how food cultures moved with the Atlantic slave trade and adapted to what was available. In the South of the United States, you have recipes like gumbo that include okra as an essential ingredient, while in Brazil there are a number of stews with okra and protein that look very different from okra stew and gumbo.

Focusing specifically on the ingredient, okra is a mucilaginous ingredient, which is a fancier way of saying that it has a bit of a gel like texture when cooked. If you are not familiar with okro it might throw you off guard. But as a food, it has a really nice and almost fatty taste to it. It doesn’t really have much of a taste to it but it makes an impact because of its texture. Many people love it for the texture and it kinda makes the meal fun to enjoy. Aside from how fun it is to eat, it is also good for you. It is high in Vitamin C and K with moderate levels of magnesium and B Vitamins.

What do you need for Okra Stew

  • Aromatics: Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Scotch Bonnet Pepper. I mean if you have seen my Ghanaian recipes, you know how important these are in most Ghanaian stews and soups. They add a nice rich flavour, heat and aromatic
  • Tomatoes
  • Mushroom: Add some nice texture and meaty flavour
  • Okra: The star of the dish
  • Dawa Dawa: This adds a nice umami flavour. Highly recommended but not essential. If you live in Canada and want to purchase please follow this link (click here)
  • Palm Nut Oil: This gives the stew a buttery flavour. Highly recommended but not essential. You can substitute with any type of oil you want. If you live in Canada and want to purchase please follow this link (click here)
  • Veggies: Different veggies like eggplant and greens adds more texture to the stew

How to make okra stew

  • Grate the okro and boil for 15 minutes with or without eggplant. For extra slip you can add a dash of baking soda
  • Saute onions and mushrooms in palm oil
  • Add the tomatoes, aromatics, spices, tofu and let the sauce cook
  • Once the sauce has reduced (about 15 minutes) add the boiled okra and fold it in
  • Let the stew simmer for another 10 minutes
  • Serve with choice of swallow

FAQ

  • How long can I store it for? The stew keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days, but you can freeze it for 6+ months
  • What can I eat with the okra stew? In Ghana, okra stew is enjoyed with a fermented corn swallow called banku. But you can literally eat it with anything. I have eaten it with fonio or rice. Find the recipe for banku here (click here)

If you like this recipe, please make to leave a comment. You can also tag me on social media (@eatwithafia on Tik Tok and Instagram) if you make this recipe.

Print Pin
Course Soup
Cuisine Ghanaian
Keyword african ingredients, ghanaian recipes, okra
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 5

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups okra
  • 2 cups mushroom/vegetable stock
  • 1 small eggplant finely diced
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda optional; please see note
  • 2 onions 1 roughly chopped and 1 finely diced
  • 2 tbsp palm oil sub with coconut oil
  • 1 large thumb of ginger
  • 1 sprig of green onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper or habanero
  • 3/4 cup firm tofu chopped 1/3 of firm tofu block
  • 1 cup assorted mushrooms I used a mix of shiitake and oyster mushroom
  • 1 cup of kale or spinach chopped roughly

Spices

  • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1.5 tsp onion powder
  • 1.5 tsp curry powder
  • 1.5 tsp anise seeds
  • 1.5 tsp coriander seers
  • 2 tsp dawa dawa fermented locust beans; see note
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Purée the roughly chopped onions, spring onion, garlic, tomato, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper and dawa dawa.
  • In a pot, sauté the finely chopped onions and mushrooms in the palm oil
  • Once the onions are soft, add the puréed mixture, tomatoes, and the spices. Add enough salt that the sauce is slightly salty. We will not be adding salt when the okra is added because it will change the texture so if you do not add enough salt, the finished product will be under salted. The sauce will also taste over seasoned. This is normal because adding the okra will dilute the seasoning in the sauce
  • Let the sauce cook for 15 minutes at medium heat, covered
  • Wash the okra and grate or chop with a food processor
  • In a pot add the okra, the mushroom stock, and the eggplant
  • Let it cook for 15 mins, sprinkle in the baking soda half way (see note). Do not stir it much
  • Once the 15 minutes has passed, add the okra mixture and tofu and fold it into the stew. Do not stir it!
  • Let everything simmer at low heat for another 10 minutes uncovered
  • Add the kale at the end and turn off the heat
  • Serve with choice of swallow

Notes

Baking soda adds more draw to the sauce (makes it more sliperry). If you do not want much slip, do not use the baking soda, especially if you used the food processor to chop the okra.
Also the eggplant is not necessary, its just another way to add more veggies to the stew. The dawa dawa is highly recommended but not essential. It gives a really nice flavour that is very difficult to describe