Okra Sauce with Assorted Meats

Ingredients

• 500 g Meat mix (beef, tripe, beef foot) (Cut into medium-sized dice)
• 95 g Fresh ginger (Peeled and coarsely chopped)
• 5 gousses Garlic cloves (Crushed)
• 1 unité Medium onion (Coarsely chopped)
• 1 unité Scotch bonnet pepper (African) (Whole, to blend)
• 1 L Water (for blender) (Tap water)
• 0.5 tasse Red onion diced (Added to the sauce)
• 1 c. à soupe Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 1 c. à soupe Maggi powder (Powdered broth)
• 1 c. à soupe Beef seasoning (Spice blend)
• 1 c. à soupe All-purpose seasoning (open 6 min) (Universal spice)
• 900 g Okra (Washed and coarsely cut)
• 0.8 L Additional water (for cooking okra) (Added during okra cooking)
• 0.5 c. à café Baking soda (Helps make the okra slimy)
• 250 g Baby spinach (Washed and coarsely chopped)
• 200 g Mushrooms (oyster or king mushroom) (Washed and sliced)
• 1 tasse Red palm oil (Typical Ghanaian oil)
• 0.5 tasse Frozen onions (Added to the sauce)
• 1 c. à soupe Concentrated beef broth (To enhance the meat flavor)
• 0.5 c. à soupe Additional salt (Adjust to taste)

Instructions

1. Blend the aromatics

   Place the ginger, garlic, onion and pepper in the blender with 1 L of water and pulse blend until a smooth puree is achieved.

   Time: PT5M

2. Add the dry aromatics

   Pour the puree into a bowl, add the half‑cup of diced red onion, salt, Maggi, beef seasoning and all‑purpose seasoning. Mix well.

   Time: PT2M

3. Initial cooking of the meat

   Heat the pan over medium heat, add the meat mix and sauté for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.

   Time: PT18M

   Temperature: feu moyen

4. Simmer on low heat

   Reduce heat to low and simmer for an additional 5 minutes to further tenderize.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: feu doux

5. Prepare the mushrooms (optional)

   Rinse the mushrooms under cold water, drain and slice them.

   Time: PT3M

6. Cut and blend the okra

   Wash the okra, cut into 2‑3 cm pieces and roughly blend (push function) to obtain coarse pieces.

   Time: PT5M

7. Prepare the spinach

   Wash the baby spinach, remove the thick stems and coarsely chop.

   Time: PT3M

8. Cooking the okra

   In a pot, place the coarsely chopped okra, add 800 ml of water, bring to a boil and, as soon as the first bubbles appear, stir in ½ tsp baking soda. Stir vigorously.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: feu moyen

9. Add the spinach

   When the mixture boils, add the chopped spinach and stir quickly.

   Time: PT2M

   Temperature: feu moyen

10. Incorporate the mushrooms

    Add the sliced mushrooms to the okra, mix and cook on low heat for 5 minutes while stirring gently.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: feu doux

11. Heat the palm oil

    In a pan, heat 1 cup of palm oil until very hot (but not smoking). Add ½ cup of frozen onions and sauté for 4 minutes.

    Time: PT4M

    Temperature: feu moyen

12. Cook the spice mixture

    Pour the aromatics puree (ginger‑garlic‑onion‑pepper) into the hot oil, fry lightly for 3 minutes.

    Time: PT3M

    Temperature: feu moyen

13. Add the meat to the sauce

    Add the pre‑cooked meat to the pan, coat well with sauce and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: feu moyen

14. Season the sauce

    Add 1 tbsp beef broth, 1 tbsp Maggi and ½ tbsp salt. Mix and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: feu moyen

15. Combine the okra with the sauces

    Pour the okra‑spinach‑mushroom mixture into the pan, mix gently and simmer for 7 minutes over low heat until everything is well integrated and slimy.

    Time: PT7M

    Temperature: feu doux

16. Serving

    Serve the hot okra sauce with rice, fufu or bread.

    Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

800

Protein

34 g

Carbohydrates

18 g

Fat

73 g

Fiber

3.4 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Meat mix (beef, tripe, beef foot): beef only, chicken
• Instead of Fresh ginger: ground ginger (1 tsp)
• Instead of Medium onion: red onion
• Instead of Scotch bonnet pepper (African): fresh pepper, ground pepper (½ tsp)
• Instead of Red onion diced: white onion
• Instead of Maggi powder: bouillon cube
• Instead of Beef seasoning: steak seasoning
• Instead of All-purpose seasoning (open 6 min): herbes de Provence
• Instead of Okra: frozen okra
• Instead of Baby spinach: fresh spinach
• Instead of Mushrooms (oyster or king mushroom): button mushrooms
• Instead of Red palm oil: peanut oil, vegetable oil
• Instead of Frozen onions: fresh onion
• Instead of Concentrated beef broth: bouillon cube

Equipment Needed

• Blender
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Medium saucepan
• Deep skillet (or wok)
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoon
• Strainer (optional)
• Mixing bowl

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Blend the aromatics
• Initial cooking of the meat
• Cut and blend the okra
• Cooking the okra with baking soda
• Heat the palm oil
• Add the meat to the sauce
• Combine the okra with the sauces

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use red palm oil to achieve the authentic Ghanaian dish color.
• Add a splash of lime juice just before serving to balance the richness.
• For a slightly smoky flavor, grill the meat pieces before incorporating them.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container, 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Freezer: Can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Room temperature: Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the aromatics mixture (ginger‑garlic‑onion‑pepper) and keep it refrigerated for 2 days.
• Cook the meat ahead of time and reheat it before adding to the sauce.
• The okra can be blanched for 2 minutes before blending to reduce excess mucilage.