Nutrition
Sallah stew
Muslims have a special method of preparing their Sallah stew. Everyone can attest to the fact that Sallah stew has a different aroma and taste.
In today’s edition, The Spectator would take readers through the process of preparing this festive stew.
Ingredients
2 pounds of meat
1/2 cup of oil
3 large onions
10 large tomatoes
2 peeled garlic clove
4 tablespoonfuls of celery leaves
3 scotch bonnet pepper, optional
2 basil leaves
1 teaspoonful of fresh thyme
1 canned tomatoes sauce, 15 ounce
1teaspoonful of curry powder
1 teaspoonful of white pepper
2 tablespoonfuls of smoked paprika
1 tablespoonful of maggie powder
2 green onion, sliced
Salt to taste
Method
-Cut and wash meat
-Boil meat with salt, and some chopped onions, garlic, and ginger in a medium pot until tender.
-Remove meat from the pot to dry. (Reserve the stock for later use).
– Put oil on fire and fry meat
-Grind or blend onions, pepper, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, celery, thyme, basil and scotch bonnet pepper.
– Add mixture to the oil and let it cook for sometime
– Add tomatoes puree, curry powder, white pepper, smoked paprika and bouillon powder and allow to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Stir the pot frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pot.
Add meat stock to give stew an additional taste.
Add green onions. Adjust seasonings, sauce consistency with water/ stock and salt.
Serve warm with a desired side dish.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
Nutrition
Nourishing Ghana Starts with Us: The role of citizens
The success of Ghana’s fight against malnutrition does not rest solely in the hands of the government or donors. It depends on us, the citizens. Nutrition is not just a technical issue. It is a societal one, and every Ghanaian has a role to play in ensuring that no child goes hungry, no mother is left unsupported, and no community is forgotten.
As citizens, we must shift how we see nutrition: not as a private family concern, but as a collective national responsibility. Here’s how we can act:
1. Demand accountability
Every citizen has the right and responsibility to ask how public funds are being used to support nutrition. Are local clinics stocked with supplements? Are school feeding programmes working in your district? Are maternal health services adequately funded? Ask questions. Engage assembly members. Attend town hall meetings. Make your voice count.
2. Speak up, Speak out
Silence has a cost. When we fail to speak out against malnutrition, we normalise it. Use your platform, whether it is WhatsApp group, a radio show, a church gathering, or social media, to raise awareness. Normalise conversations about child feeding, food quality, and maternal health. Silence keeps systems broken. Voices drive change.
3. Support local solutions
Support or join community nutrition initiatives. Volunteer. Share what you know. Help spread accurate information about breastfeeding, healthy diets, and hygiene. If you are a farmer, teacher, trader, or youth leader, your knowledge and effort can make a difference. Change starts in our homes and neighbourhoods.
4. Protect the first 1,000 days
Whether you are a father, grandmother, neighbor, or employer, support pregnant women and caregivers during this crucial period. Encourage antenatal care. Help with child care. Prioritise nutritious foods. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life lay the foundation for everything that follows.
When citizens care, ask questions, take action, and show solidarity, we create the conditions for lasting change. Malnutrition is not inevitable. It is a symptom of neglect, and neglect ends when citizens choose to act.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project
Nutrition
Ga Kenkey
Ga kenkey, a staple in Ghanaian cuisine, is prepared with fermenting corn dough, then cooking a portion of it to create ‘aflata’ or ‘banku’. It is a popular food in the southern part of Ghana.
Ingredients:
-8 cups of dried corn
-Dried corn leaves (for wrapping)
-2 tablespoonful of stew
Preparation
-Soak corn in water overnight
-Grind corn into a powder form
-Mix the ground corn with water (dough)
-Mix part of the dough with water and put it on fire to cook
-Take the pot off the fire and mix in the remaining dough .
– When ready shape mixture into balls and set every prepared ball on a corn leaf.
– Cover each ball by wrapping the corn leaf around it
– Put water on fire. Add wrapped kenkey to boil for 45 minutes.
– When ready take them out carefully and serve them along with shito, ground pepper and fish.
