Everyday Akan Plate · Boiled Yam & Cocoyam-Leaf Stew
Ampesi with Kontomire Stew
Photo: Daniel Abugre Anyorigya / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kontomire stew is made from cocoyam (taro) leaves, not the cocoyam root itself — the leaves are boiled down and pounded into a dark green paste before hitting the pan.
Yam, plantain, or cocoyam is boiled plain (ampesi) and served beside a stew of pounded cocoyam leaves simmered in palm oil with onion, chili, and smoked fish or meat. Chop bars across Kumasi serve it as a lighter, everyday alternative to fufu.
Why it's made this way: Ampesi and kontomire stew is a classic Akan pairing built around ingredients that grow easily in the Ashanti forest belt, valued as a plainer, home-style counterpart to heavier soup-and-swallow meals.
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