How to make delicious Ghanaian smoked fish and Agushie stew (Akatoa stew)
This recipe is a very tasty meal that you will find people eating in and around Ghana.
Ghanaian premium stew, Agushie or Akatoa comes in either whole or grounded forms and it’s a staple in some other West African countries as well.
Cooking time
60 minutes
Recipe category
Main Dish
Recipe cuisine
Ghanaian Dish
Cooking method
Stewing
Recipe Yield
5 servings
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 pepper sliced
Salt as required
Instructions
- Add about 1/4 cup of palm oil into a saucepan. Add onions, minced garlic and pepper. Cook till onions are softened.
- 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 till tomatoes and smoked fish are cooked through and no longer smelling raw.
- Meanwhile, add 1 cup of melon seeds (Agushie/ Akatoa) into a blender. Add about a half cup of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Blend till smooth and creamy. (If using grounded melon seeds, make a thick paste using water and salt and set aside)
- When tomatoes are cooked through, lower the heat to low and add the blended melon seeds solution. DO NOT STIR! Cover the saucepan simmer gently till the blended melon seeds are set.
- Add sliced bell pepper, stir, add a splash of water if needed, taste and adjust for salt.
Your Agushie stew is ready! Serve with plain rice, boiled yam or plantain.