FreeAnemia SupportHigh Protein

Ugu and Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Smoked Titus Fish

Name: Ugu and Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Smoked Titus Fish
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 cups black-eyed peas; 2 tbsp red palm oil or olive oil; 1 medium onion; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tsp fresh ginger; 2 medium tomatoes; 1 medium red bell pepper; 7 oz smoked titus fish (or mackerel); 4 cups ugu (fluted pumpkin leaves); 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth; 1 tsp ground crayfish; salt and mild pepper

A comforting Nigerian-style stew of fluted pumpkin leaves, black-eyed peas, and flaked smoked titus fish simmered until deeply warming.

Servings

4 servings

Prep

15 min

Cook

45 min

This is the kind of pot that ends up on the stove more than once a week in many Nigerian kitchens — humble, deeply savory, and built from ingredients that have fed pregnant and nursing women for generations. Ugu (fluted pumpkin leaves) go in right at the end so they stay bright and just tender, while the black-eyed peas turn soft and creamy after a long simmer.

We built this one around iron: black-eyed peas, dark leafy ugu, and smoked fish together make a genuinely iron-rich bowl, which is why we've tagged it for anemia support — a common concern in pregnancy as blood volume expands. The smoked fish is fully flaked and simmered until steaming hot, never served cold or underheated, and it also brings a solid dose of protein to round out the meal.

Serve it over boiled rice, yam, or plantain for a filling, satisfying dinner that leans on real, familiar ingredients rather than anything exotic or hard to find.

Ingredients

1.5 cups black-eyed peas — soaked and cooked until tender, or 2 cans (15 oz each), rinsed and drained
2 tbsp red palm oil or olive oil
1 medium onion — chopped
2 cloves garlic — minced
1 tsp fresh ginger — grated
2 medium tomatoes — chopped
1 medium red bell pepper — chopped
7 oz smoked titus fish (or mackerel) — deboned, flaked, heated through until steaming
4 cups ugu (fluted pumpkin leaves) — washed and chopped; spinach may be substituted
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp ground crayfish — optional
salt and mild pepper — to taste

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Where to find these ingredients

Most ingredients here are everyday market staples across West Africa. A handful of specialty items may be easiest to find at a local open-air market or an African grocery store if you're elsewhere.

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