Cristian says: “Shoko, a beef stew from Ghana, is traditionally prepared with amaranth greens, but they can be replaced by spinach. The slightly bitter amaranth leaves go very well with the sweetness of the sauce and the intense flavour of all the spices. In Ghana this recipe is very spicy. Shoko is traditionally accompanied by some kind of starch, such as yam, plantain, or rice.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1kg boneless beef shank or knuckle, finely sliced
1⁄2 tsp light brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp ground cardamom
1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
400g tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 1⁄2 fresh red cayenne chilies, minced
2.5 cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
1⁄2 tsp coriander seeds, freshly ground
1⁄2 tsp cumin seeds, freshly ground
240ml beef stock
600g yam or potato, peeled and sliced
285g amaranth greens, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Method

In a soup pot, heat four tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Season the meat with the brown sugar, cardamom, black pepper, and salt to taste. Add the beef to the pot and cook until browned, about five minutes. Transfer the beef to a bowl, cover, and set aside.

Add the remaining two tablespoons oil to the pot along with the garlic and onion. Sauté until golden brown, about two minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the tomatoes and bell pepper. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Return the beef to the pot and add the chilies, ginger, coriander, cumin, and beef stock. Simmer for two hours.

Meanwhile, in a small pot of boiling water, cook the yam until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In another small pot, bring 350ml water to a boil. Add the amaranth, cover, and cook for three minutes.

Reserving the cooking liquid, drain the amaranth leaves and stir into the spiced tomato/beef sauce along with two tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid. Simmer for three minutes.

To serve, put the yams on plates and pour the shoko (stew) on top.

The Gluten-Free Cookbook by Cristian Broglia (£35, Phaidon) is out now

The Gluten-Free Cookbook: 3 warming gluten-free dishes to make this winter