Cassava Leaves in Palava Sauce
You can hardly find a Sierra Leonean who doesn’t love this dish, made with cassava leaves, rich in Vitamins B and C. In preparation for cooking, the leaves are washed, then either pounded very finely, bruised with a pestle and mortar, or blended. The leaves are then added to palava sauce.
This recipe was kindly contributed by the EU Delegation to Sierra Leone and cooked with great pleasure by Ambassador Tom Vens
- 2 bundles of cassava leaves
- 0.5 kg meat
- 2 dried fish
- 0.25 litres of palm, coconut or vegetable oil
- half a cup of peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon of Ogiri (fermented sesame seeds)
- 2 large onions
- 2 red peppers
- 3 okra
- 2 stock cubes
- 2 cups water
- Garnish:
- 6 okra
- 3 bitter balls (small African eggplants)
- 6 red peppers
Cut up the meat and put in a saucepan with 1 stock cube, ground pepper, onions and water. Cook for about 15 minutes. Wash and grind the cassava leaves. Add the ground leaves to the ingredients in the saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes. (until the colour of the leaves change from bright green). Add palm oil and simmer again for about 10 minutes or until the meat is tender. Mix peanut butter with a little water and add to the sauce, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Grind the okra into a paste and add to the sauce. Flake the fish and add to the sauce. Season with a stock cube, cover and simmer gently until most of the water has evaporated. Add a pinch of salt if necessary.
Serve with rice. Boil the okra, bitter balls and red pepper to garnish.
You can hardly find a Sierra Leonean who doesn’t love this dish, made with cassava leaves, rich in Vitamins B and C
Other recipes
From mains to sides, and from desserts to snacks: our Ambassadorial community has the perfect recipe for every occasion. Check out all the recipes in our diverse collection and discover how our Ambassadors cook their favourite dishes!
Imqarrun Il-Forn
Prepare the sauce separately in a large, low pan by lightly frying the onion and some garlic, then the minced meat, liver, bacon, carrots and peas. When all has browned ...
- Difficulty
Beef Tibs
The basis of Ethiopian food is injera, a spongy sour- dough flatbread made of teff, served with a variety of toppings. It is mostly made at home in a pan, ...
- Difficulty
Traditional Weekend Lunch
The recipe constitutes key components of a weekend lunch in Lesotho; usually reserved for guests (or for one’s parents).
- Difficulty
