Fusion Ndole (Bitter-leaf or spinach in boiled peanut sauce)

Ndole is a quintessential cameroonian delicacy only surpassed by njamajama and katikati in my opinion. This gift to all Cameroonians from the Douala tribe or Cameroon is the yummiest peanut vegetable stew with a distinct glorious flavour from the combination of bitter-leaf, crayfish, prawns, stock fish and beef. Though high in calories, Ndole is packed filled with protein. It is simply irresistible ( once you acquire the taste – and you will eventually Laudy ), and hence a popular dish at Cameroonian parties.

The vegetable, bitter-leaf, stems from the herb Vernonia amygdalina which is indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. It is highly valued in this region as a medicinal plant and used for treatment of several conditions ranging from schistomiasis, fever to gastric complaints and parasite-induced diseases like malaria. Bitter leaf is also used in sub-Saharan African ethnic medicine as a cleanse to organs like the liver and the kidney and is used in the treatment of skin infections such as ringworm, rashes and eczema. Fresh bitter leaf is filled with nutritious micronutrients.

This recipe is the Afrofusion adaptation (to reduce the calories whilst maintaining the flavour) of the original recipe lovingly gifted to the Afrofusion community by my Douala sister and Afrofusion client Erna.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion

Servings People

Calories 536 kcal

Ingredients

3 Stock cubes
400 ml Water
1 Large white Onion (sliced)
2 Large red onions ( sliced)
400 g (approx 2 cups) Groundnuts/Peanuts (Skinless or with the skin on)
200 g Prawns
200 g Stockfish soaked overnight (optional if available)
500 g Boiled beef cubes
1 tbsp Garlic paste
3/4 cup Ground Crayfish (ground)
300 g Washed bitter-leaves (sub frozen spinach)
200 g Wilted fresh spinach (or 500g if no bitter leaf)
1/4 Cup of vegetable oil

Instructions

Add the meat salt, stock cubes, garlic paste and half of sliced red onions to a sauce pan and bring to boil. Then simmer for 20-30 minutes until the meat is cooked. Reserve the stock
Simultaneously, boil stock fish with salt and water until tender and flakes come apart. Reserve the stock and add the fish flakes to the meat and set aside
Boil peanuts for approximately 15 minutes in a sauce pan. Set aside to cool
Add the remainder red onions to the cool peanuts and blend/pulse in a food processor or blender until smooth consistency, using water incrementally to facilitate the blending
Transfer peanut and onion paste into a sauce pan, add 2 – 3 cups of the reserved stock and half the crayfish and let all simmer for approx. 30 minutes (or until the oil comes to the top) , stirring regularly to prevent burn
Simultaneously, add 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and sauté the prawns until they just turn pink. Add half of the sliced white onions, stir for a few more minutes and set aside
Then heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, add the rest of the crayfish and rest of sliced white onions followed by the boiled meat and stock fish and sauté until brown but not burnt and set aside
Add the drained bitter leaves and or spinach to the peanut paste. Incorporate the vegetables by stirring and let simmer for approx. 5minutes
Finally add in the meat, fish, prawn and oil to finalise the pot of Ndole
Stir for a few minutes and serve hot with side of boiled yams or plantains, bobolo, or dodo

Notes

Glycemic Index 18 Low
Glycemic Load 2 Low

Chefs Hints

Fresh bitter leaf is preferred but If you are restricted to the dried bitter leaves, make sure to soak overnight and cook for 15 minutes using 1 teaspoon of nkangwa or bicarbonate of soda. Wash by rubbing together and rinse thoroughly by adding water and draining and rubbing again several times and then draining squeezing out as much fluid as possible.

Adapt the meats to your taste but stick to the quantities to get the makros right for your meal guide

You can buy crayfish from Amazon or most Afrocaribbean or Asian Stores

Soak the stockfish overnight to make tender.

I enjoy this dish the most with Miondo or Bobolo (fermented cassava) the best Cameroonian carbohydrate side dishes in my opinion, closely followed by boiled yams or plantains (boiled or fried i.e., dodo- another Cameroonian delicacy my Naija sistas Nneka, Kariba, Ono and Alison keep trying to steal alongside Puffpuff and jellof- we Cameroonians have suffad).

Nutrition

Serving: 8ServingsCalories: 536kcalCarbohydrates: 13.7gProtein: 36.34gFat: 40gSodium: 819mgFiber: 6.22gSugar: 4.12g

Keyword Afrofusion

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Fusion Ndole (Bitter-leaf or spinach in boiled peanut sauce)