West Africa has no shortage of long-simmered stews made with an dizzying variety of both cultivated and foraged greens. These stews are usually enriched with the addition meat, fowl or fish, and sometimes all three. The recipe here comes from the country of Guinea.
What type of greens do you need for hakô bantara?
While hakô is often made with cassava (bantara) leaves (hakô) — known as feuilles de manioc in French — you can make it with sweet potato leaves too. Then it’s called hakô putay. Chopped, frozen cassava and sweet potato leaves can be found in most African and some Asian markets. However, there’s no reason you can’t use other greens. Swiss chard, kale, collards or even spinach are all reasonable substitutions. Or try foraged greens from your yard. Use what you have on hand.
The cassava leaf used in hakô bantara is very finely chopped. If you are using fresh, not frozen, greens, make sure to chop them very finely. Or chop them roughly and then pulse them with a little water in a food processor to get them to a fine consistency.
What kind of meat goes into hakô stews?
Stews made with leafy greens are a basic West African “sauce” that gets modified and added to with whatever the cook has on hand. To make it a full meal, proteins of some sort are usually added as a first step. Beef, goat or chicken are the most popular, either bone-in or boneless. But if you want a vegetarian meal, you can eliminate the meat altogether.
Meat and fish?
Mixing meat and fish in a single dish isn’t common in Western kitchens, but it’s standard procedure in the coastal cuisine of Western Africa. Fresh and smoked fish is abundant and widely available. Dried or fresh fish rounds out the flavor and adds a deep umami. Mackerel is used most often, but try fresh using tilapia, cod or other fish. Again, if it’s a vegetarian meal you’re looking for, eliminate the fish and seafood.
How else can I customize cassava greens stew?
Red palm oil is an essential ingredient for hakô bantara. It adds an irreplaceable earthiness and is best not left out. Most Guineans would add a LOT of palm oil. The greens will absorb it. This recipe keeps the amount to a modest 1/2 to 1 cup, but feel free to add more. It really does add to the flavor and mouthfeel.
Okra is native to Africa, and in this stew it both thickens and adds a unique texture. Of source, plenty of people aren’t okra fans, and you can leave it out if you like.
Most Guineans like their food spicy, and Scotch bonnet or habanero chilies are the means to giving dishes a fiery punch. But if spicy food isn’t to your liking, don’t be ashamed to leave them out.
Hakô Bantara
Course: Vegetables, Soups and StewsCuisine: GuineaWest Africa has no shortage of long-simmered stews made with an dizzying variety of both cultivated and foraged greens.
Ingredients
Water — 4 cups
Beef, goat or chicken meat, cubed — 1 pound
Onion, chopped — 1
Scallions, chopped — 1 bunch
Garlic, chopped — 3 cloves
Habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, slit open on one side — 2 or 3
Cassava leaves, chopped — 1 pound
Chub mackerel fish — 1 (15-ounce) can
Red palm oil — 1/2 cup to 1 cup
Okra pods — 5 or 6
Maggi or chicken bouillon cubes (optional) — 1 or 2
Salt — to taste
Directions
- Bring the water and a big pinch of salt to a boil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the meat and let it cook at a healthy boil for about 10 minutes.
- While the meat is simmering, puree the onions, scallions and garlic in a blender or food processor. Rinse the cassava leaves in a colander under fresh water and squeeze dry.
- Stir the onion-garlic puree, cassava leaves and chile peppers into the simmering meat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Rinse the mackerel with some fresh water and then flake it into small pieces with your hand. Stir the flaked mackerel and red palm oil into the simmering stew. Replace the cover and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Grate the okra pods on a box grater or puree them in a blender or food processor. Stir the pureed okra into the stew and crumble in the optional bouillon cubes. Add salt to taste.
- Continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes. Once the palm oil begins to separate out and rise to the top, the dish is done. Serve with rice.
Notes and Variations
- Other greens for your stew: Sweet potato leaves, molokhia (jute) greens, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collards, foraged greens.
- Meat and seafood: Beef, chicken and goat are common proteins in Guinean simmered greens. Shrimp and calamari can also be stirred in toward the end. Some cooks even add whole crabs, shell and all.
- Fish and shrimp powder: Both of these are common flavoring ingredients in West African cooking. A tablespoon or two of ground fish, crayfish or shrimp powder (available in West African markets) can round out a dish’s flavor and give it a rich umami boost.
- Other possible additions: Stir in 1 cup of coconut milk or 1 cup of creamy peanut butter when you add the greens to give them a thicker, creamier consistency and a touch of sweetness.
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