African garden eggs – a type of aubergine – are the star of this rich Ghanaian classic Akwasi Brenya-Mensa gleaned from his grandma
Nana Maggie (my grandmother) taught me how to make this dish on my last trip back to Ghana. This recipe is an adaptation of her version, made with ingredients easier to come by in the UK.
Garden egg stew has a silky, fragrant sauce that combines the aubergine known as garden egg – one of the most ubiquitous vegetables in Africa – with tomatoes, scotch bonnet chilli, onions and red palm oil. The flavour is rich and complex, thanks to the slight bitterness of the garden eggs and fermented fish (which is usual but omitted here for ease), underscored by the earthy peanut base note.
The ingredients are traditionally ground in an Asanka – an earthenware bowl with ridges inside that acts like a large pestle and mortar. Manually crushing the ingredients means the oils are expelled slowly and their full aromas are released, although you can use a blender.
Garden egg stew is usually eaten alongside boiled eggs and a starch such as boiled yam, cassava or plantain. After my grandmother made it (while I was frantically trying to take notes, videos and ask questions), I sat down to eat. Every dish she’d prepared was served almost ceremoniously. I was reminded how cooking for someone is so important in our culture as a means of showing love.
Garden egg stew
Serves 4 Hands-on time 20 min Simmering time 40 min
KNOW-HOW
Red palm oil is an unrefined oil with a rich, slightly sweet flavour, used in African cooking. The Carotino brand claims to be ethically sourced. All-purpose seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices usually used to flavour meat dishes. Find both in larger supermarkets. Dawa dawa is fermented locust bean, which adds a deep, complex umami flavour to sauces and stews. It’s available from African and Caribbean grocers, or online at buyndudu.com.
• 10 garden eggs or 2 large aubergines (about 700g)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 150ml red palm oil (I use Carotino brand; see Know-how)
• 2 tsp dawa dawa (see Know-how)
• 3 medium onions, 1 sliced and 2 roughly chopped
• ½ tsp ground aniseed
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves
• 20g fresh ginger
• ½ scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded (wear gloves)
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 50g smooth peanut butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning (I use Grace Foods brand; see Know-how)
• 4 green (unripe) plantains
• 1 avocado, sliced, to serve
• 4 free-range eggs
