Name: Ofe Akwu (Igbo Palm-Fruit Stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 85 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 600 g stewing beef (cubed); 150 g smoked fish (deboned); 500 g canned palm-fruit concentrate (unsweetened); 40 g scent leaves (washed and finely sliced); 1 medium onion (chopped); 3 tbsp ground dried crayfish; 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (crushed); 0.5 tsp ogiri okpei (commercially prepared; optional); 0.5 tsp ground ehuru (optional); 1 stock cube (optional); 1200 ml water (plus more as needed); to taste salt

Ofe Akwu (Igbo Palm-Fruit Stew)

A rich palm-fruit stew with beef, smoked fish and a fragrant finish of scent leaves. Ganiru of The Pretend Chef describes ofe akwu as a staple in her Nnewi community and remembers it on her family’s Sunday lunch table. The account illustrates how a shared regional ingredient, palm fruit, takes a particular form in an Igbo kitchen. Plain rice is a familiar partner for the fragrant sauce. Cultural context: This scent-leaf version is distinguished from Delta banga by its seasoning and customary rice pairing, not by a claim that palm-fruit dishes belong to only one people.

Ofe akwu palm-fruit stew with meat and leafy herbs

20 minPreparation

85 minCooking

6Servings

What you’ll need

6 servings

Let’s get cooking

Simmer beef, half the onion, stock cube and 800 ml water for 50–65 minutes until the meat is tender.

Stir palm-fruit concentrate and remaining water into the pot. Add fish, crayfish, pepper, remaining onion, ogiri and ehuru.

Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce thickens slightly and oil gathers on the surface.

Fold in scent leaves and simmer 3–5 minutes. Season cautiously, because the fish and stock cube may already be salty.

Serve over plain rice, or alongside boiled yam.

A little kitchen wisdom

Use palm-fruit concentrate rather than palm-kernel oil or a large volume of red palm oil. Basil is a practical diaspora substitution for scent leaf, but mint gives a different flavour. Timing: active preparation 20 min; cooking 85 min; additional passive time 0 min; conservative planning allowance 105 min. Some stages may overlap. Recipe status: Research draft; not kitchen-tested. Allergens and checks: Fish; Crustaceans (crayfish); Check stock cube and fermented seasoning labels

Recipe notes & sources

Research draft; not kitchen-tested

Also known as: Igbo banga stew

This scent-leaf version is distinguished from Delta banga by its seasoning and customary rice pairing, not by a claim that palm-fruit dishes belong to only one people.

Allergens: Fish, Crustaceans (crayfish), Check stock cube and fermented seasoning labels