Soupou Kandja (Senegalese Okra and Palm Oil Stew with Beef and Fish)

Ingredients

• 400 g beef stewing steak, diced
• 300 g white fish fillets (such as pollock)
• 400 g okra
• 6 tbsp red palm oil
• 2 onions
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp
• 1 beef stock cube
• 300 g long-grain rice
• 1 lime

Method

1. 1

   Put the beef in a pan with 1 chopped onion, the crushed garlic, the crumbled stock cube and 600ml water. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes until tender.

2. 2

   Trim the okra and chop it finely, or pulse briefly in a food processor.

3. 3

   Add the okra, the second onion, chopped, the whole scotch bonnet and the dried shrimp, ground to a powder (it stands in for Senegalese dried fish), to the beef. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring now and then.

4. 4

   Stir in the red palm oil and simmer for 5 minutes more until the stew is thick, stretchy and glossy red.

5. 5

   Cut the fish into large chunks, lay on top, cover and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes until opaque and flaking. Season with salt and remove the scotch bonnet.

6. 6

   Meanwhile, rinse the rice and simmer it in 600ml lightly salted water, covered, for 12-15 minutes until tender. Serve the stew straight away over the rice with lime wedges, and cool any leftover rice quickly.