Africa: Liberia: Liberian Cassava Gravy

Pour one-third cup of oil in a cooking pan.

Add at least seven cloves of garlic and stir fry for a couple of minutes. 

Add one and a half diced onions to the pan. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent. 

Add 6 to 12 ounces of tomato paste and mix well. 

Add only a pinch of salt or as per your taste. 

Add one tablespoon of habanero pepper to enhance your gravy’s flavor.

Sprinkle some black pepper and stir well to let the spices blend in thoroughly.

Then, add two and a half cups of broth and bring it to a boil. Simmer the gravy for about 3 minutes.

Now is the time to add protein, to wit; seitan of 361 grams. 

After that, add one-fourth teaspoon of salt to the gravy and allow it to boil for around 4 minutes.  

Cover the pan for a while. Then, check the consistency of the sauce.

Now, cut yellow plantain into small pieces with its both edges removed. However, there’s no need to peel off the plantain skin. Did you know plantain peels are loaded with vitamin A, linoleic acid, zinc, manganese, tannin, and sorbitol? All of these nutrients help cure skin disorders, wound healing, wrinkles, and skin allergies. They also promote hair growth, yield skin-softening effects, and accelerate cell regeneration. So, leave the peel on. 

Now, take 4 to 5 pieces of washed eddoes.

Then, cut and peel yuca (cassava). You would notice candle wax on its surface. Remove their stems with a sharp knife. Take caution while doing so. Once cut into medium-sized blocks, use a butter knife to peel off the outer thick layer. The raw yuca itself tastes so good. 

Now, put two separate cooking pots on high flame. Pour water into them, one of which contains plantain and the other, yuca. Let them boil for at least 20 to 30 minutes. It is good to note here that ripe plantain cooks relatively fast. So, remove them first from water. 

Then, in the same pot, put eddoes. Cover them with water and let it simmer. You can cover the pot since enclosed pot helps eddoes cook faster.

Check the yuca with the help of a fork test. If they feel tender, take them out of the water. 

Carry out the same fork test with eddoes. If the fork digs in easily, they are good to remove from water now.

Now, peel boiled eddoes using a knife. Ensure to get rid of all the slime on white inner part. Then, peel off the plantain outer layers.  

At this moment, you need to assemble your food dish. 

Using your hands, divide yuca into half. 

In a bowl, add two or more pieces of yuca, plantain, eddoes, and pour cassava gravy on top of them. 

It’s ready to serve. Enjoy chomping the delicious West African red gravy with taro, cassava, and plantain.