~257 cal · 10g protein · 24g carbs · 14g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Layered fish and greens stew in red palm oil
🇸🇹 São Tomé
Calulu is the celebratory dish of São Tomé and Príncipe, a slow-built stew of fresh and smoked fish layered with green leaves, okra, tomato, and generous red palm oil. Its many ingredients meld over a gentle simmer into something deep and lush, served over rice or funge on the cocoa islands.
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Make it yours
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 6 —
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1.5 lb + 6 oz fresh and smoked fish
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1 lb leafy greens (sweet potato leaf or spinach)
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1 cup okra
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3 tomato
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1 onion
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1/3 cup red palm oil
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4 cloves garlic
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2 bay
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1 chili
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1 lime
Instructions
1
Layer the greens, onion, tomato, okra, garlic, and bay in a pot.
2
Nestle in the fresh and smoked fish (or mushrooms and tofu).
3
Pour over the palm oil and a little water, cover, and simmer gently 40 minutes.
4
Add chili and lime and adjust the salt.
5
Serve over rice or funge.
São Tomé tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
São Tomé. An island capital of palm-oil calulu.
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São Tomé and Príncipe. Cocoa islands of palm-oil-rich calulu.
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Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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