Ewedu is a traditional Nigerian recipe for a classic dish of ewedu (Jew's mallow) laves cooked down to a puree that's served as an accompaniment. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Nigerian version of: Ewedu.
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Ewedu is the Nigerian name for the leaves of the saluot or Jute plant, also known as Melokheya (or Malukhia or Melokhia) and Jew's Mallow. It is a very popular vegetable across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Seeds can be bought from specialist seed merchants. You can buy frozen leaves in many Asian supermarkets. The dried leaves are also used as a thickener for stews. Like okra they are very mucilaginous and are a good source of beta carotene. If you can't get any substitute a 50/50 mix of shredded spinach and finely-shredded okra.
Ingredients:
400g young ewedu (Jute) leaves (substitute common mallow leaves, a related plant, in Europe)
1 tsp iru (this is a condiment made by fermenting locust beans (carob) — add black bean paste if not available)
1 tsp potash (modern African cooks substitute baking soda for this)
salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
Strip the ewedu leaves from their stem then wash them and shred on a chopping board. Add 250ml water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add the shredded ewedu along the iru and the baking soda. Cove and allow to boil briskly for 10 minutes then season to taste and continue cooking for a further five minutes.
This dish can be served as a an accompaniment to a main course or it can be served on a bed of rice or with fufu.
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