Fufu and Veggie Stew-Poverty Meal

As I shared recently, we're doing poverty meals once a week. This month, for May, we're focusing on West Africa. I decided that we'd do fufu, which is a starchy substance resembling mashed potatoes but made from anything from potatoes to yams to yuca/cassava to plantains, and then a veggie stew. I actually made enough that four people could have eaten this comfortably, with a ton more stew left over. This seriously made a ton of stew, and I was able to freeze some of it for later this month. Talk about a cost cutting/time saving meal. :)

Ingredients:
Stew-
-1 lb frozen cut okra (not breaded)
-2 can diced tomatoes, drained
-2 cans chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), drained
-1/2 cup-1 cup frozen chopped spinach (no need to thaw or drain)
-1/4 cup raisins
-2 cups beef broth (or chicken broth)
-4 cups water
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1 teaspoon onion powder
-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Fufu-
-1 russet potato
-1 yam or sweet potato
-1 plantain (green as you can find, not black)
-3 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Stew-
In a large pot, Combine everything but the spinach. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover, add the spinach, and continue simmering on medium/medium low another hour or so, till everything is well incorporated and yummy.

You can also do this on low in a crock pot for about 4 hours or so. You just want to allow the flavors to marry well. Making this ahead of time and just heating it up is fine too.

Fufu-
Peel the potato and yam, then cut into large chunks. Leave the peel on the plantain. In a medium pot, add enough water to cover the potato and yam, then heat over high until it boils. Cook until the potato and yam are tender but not terribly mushy, about 10 minutes at a rolling boil. In a separate pot, cover the plantain with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until plantain is tender but not overly mushy, about 10 minutes at a rolling boil. Drain everything. Peel the plantain and add to the potato and yam. Mash with a potato masher with butter until desired consistency.

I like mine smooth but not too smooth. A little texture is good. :)

Spoon some of the fufu into a bowl.

Ladle some of the stew over it, then serve hot.

Enjoy your fufu and stew while remembering the people of West Africa.