Efo Riro With Kale and Whitefish

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, quartered through root end
• 3 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into large pieces
• 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp. dried bitter leaf
• 4 skinless tilapia or other whitefish fillets (about 1⅔lb. total), cut into 2" pieces
• 4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• Vegetable oil (for frying; about 1 cup)
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1½ tsp. garam masala
• ½ tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 cube Maggi shrimp or chicken bouillon
• 3 Tbsp. dried shrimp, rinsed
• 4 tsp. powdered irú (dawadawa; fermented locust beans)
• 1 lb. (2 bunches) kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into 2" pieces
• Steamed puna yams or rice (for serving)

Directions

1. Purée onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, chile, and garlic in a blender, adding up to ¼ cup water as needed, until smooth. Set purée aside.
2. Place bitter leaf in a small bowl and pour in hot water to cover. Let sit until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and finely chop.
3. Meanwhile, toss fish with Old Bay seasoning in a large bowl to evenly coat. Pour vegetable oil into a large deep saucepan or medium Dutch oven to come ¼" up sides and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches, arrange fish in a single layer and fry, turning halfway through, until golden, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
4. Pour oil out from pan and wipe out. Heat olive oil in same saucepan over medium-high. Add tomato paste, thyme, garam masala, and turmeric. Cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant and tomato paste is slightly darkened in color, about 1 minute. Stir in reserved purée, scraping up any browned bits, then add bitter leaf, shrimp cube, dried shrimp, and irú. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat so stew is at a simmer and add kale by the handful, stir to wilt slightly before adding more. Once all of the kale has been added, cook (without stirring) until tender, about 5 minutes. Gently fold in fried fish, being careful not to break up too much.
5. Serve with yams or rice alongside.