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Moringa leaf stew (Konso shiferaw)
Shiferaw: tender moringa leaves simmered with onion, garlic and oil, southern Ethiopia's everyday greens
On the stone terraces of Konso, moringa trees grow beside almost every house, and their young leaves are picked daily for a simple green stew eaten with sorghum dumplings or injera. The leaves are stripped from their stems and simmered with onion, garlic, a little green chilli and oil until soft, giving a deep green, slightly peppery dish that tastes a little like spinach crossed with watercress. It is plain, nourishing and naturally vegan, so it fits any fasting day. Fresh or frozen moringa leaves are sold in many Indian and Asian grocers; if you cannot find them, use spinach with a squeeze of lemon. Leaving the stems in is the usual mistake; they stay woody, so strip the leaves off. Chef's tip: add the leaves in handfuls and stop cooking as soon as they are tender, so they keep their colour and their gentle bitterness does not deepen.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz moringa leavesstripped from the stems; fresh or frozen, or spinach
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 green chillisliced
- ¾ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)only if using spinach
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Wash 10 ½ oz moringa leaves and drain well. Strip off any remaining stalks.
Step 2: Cook 1 red onion in a dry pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
5 minStep 3: Add 3 tbsp vegetable oil, 3 garlic cloves and 1 green chilli and cook for 3 minutes until the onion is golden.
3 minStep 4: Add the leaves a handful at a time, stirring each until it wilts, then pour in ¾ cup water and add ½ tsp salt.
4 minStep 5: Cover and simmer over a low heat for 8–12 minutes until the leaves are tender and most of the liquid has gone. Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice if using spinach and serve warm.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moringa leaf stew (Konso shiferaw) take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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