Ingredients

• 1/4 cup/ 60ml palm oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 clove garlic (optional), minced
• Fresh pepper as required (scotch bonnet, bird's eye chilli, etc.), minced
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• Preferred smoked fish (mackerel, salmon, herrings, tuna, etc.), remove flesh and bones and break into desired sizes
• 1 teaspoon grounded dried shrimp (shrimp powder) / shrimp stock cube
• 1 cup whole melon seeds (agushie/akatoa), substitute for grounded melon seeds
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• Salt as required

Instructions

Prepare the Ingredients

1. Add about 1/4 cup of palm oil into a saucepan. Add onions, minced garlic, and pepper. Cook until the onions are softened.
2. Add diced tomatoes and cleaned smoked fish. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 heaped teaspoon of grounded dried shrimp or 1 shrimp stock cube, and stir together. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until tomatoes and smoked fish are cooked through and no longer smelling raw.

To Make the Stew

1. Meanwhile, add 1 cup of melon seeds (agushie/akatoa) into a blender. Add about half a cup of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. (If using grounded melon seeds, make a thick paste using water and salt and set aside.)
2. When the tomatoes are cooked through, lower the heat to low and add the blended melon seeds solution. DO NOT STIR! Cover the saucepan and simmer gently until the blended melon seeds are set.
3. Add sliced bell pepper, stir, add a splash of water if needed, taste and adjust for salt. Serve with plain rice, boiled yam, or plantain.