Palava Sauce (Liberian Jute Leaf and Meat Stew)
In short: Jute leaves or spinach stewed with beef, smoked fish, onion and red palm oil into a silky, savory sauce served over rice, a Liberian family favorite. It takes about 1 h 30 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 370 kcal
Palava sauce is the Liberian leaf stew, cooked with finely chopped jute leaves (also sold as molokhia), beef, smoked fish and a generous spoonful of red palm oil. The leaves cook down into a thick, slightly silky sauce that clings to rice. Cooks outside West Africa often use frozen molokhia or spinach, which works well. It is family food, cooked in a big pot and eaten with rice, boiled cassava or yam.
Instructions
- Put the beef, half the onion, the garlic, whole pepper, 1 tsp salt and the water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until the beef is nearly tender.
- Add the remaining onion and the drained jute leaves or spinach. Stir, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the leaves wilt and release their water.
- Stir in the palm oil, smoked fish and ground shrimp, if using. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes more, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and the oil glistens on top.
- Check that the beef is fork-tender and well past 63°C (145°F). Taste and add salt. Lift out the whole pepper if you want less heat.
- Serve hot over rice.
Tips
- Fresh jute leaves are rarely sold outside Africa. Frozen molokhia from Middle Eastern or African grocers is the closest match, and spinach is a fine substitute, though it gives a less silky sauce.
- Cook the sauce uncovered at the end. Leaving the pot open lets extra water evaporate, so the sauce thickens instead of staying watery.
Questions and answers
How is palava sauce different from other leaf stews?
It is a leaf stew cooked with red palm oil, smoked fish and beef. Cooks use finely chopped greens such as cassava leaves, potato greens or jute (molokhia). Jute gives the silkiest texture.
Can I freeze palava sauce?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat gently, stirring so the oil blends back in.
What do you serve with palava sauce?
White rice is the usual partner. Boiled yam, cassava, plantain or fufu also work well.
How long does it take to make Palava Sauce (Liberian Jute Leaf and Meat Stew)?
About 1 h 30 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 1 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Palava Sauce (Liberian Jute Leaf and Meat Stew)?
About 370 kcal per serving, with 30 g of protein, 11 g of carbohydrates and 23 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 370 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 30 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 700 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
