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Recipe for Ndole
Recipe for Ndole
Ndole is the national dish of Cameroon. It originated from among the Douala people along the Atlantic Coast, but it is now widely eaten throughout the country. Afropop Worldwide host George Collinet says Cameroonians prepare Ndole for special occasions-marriages, baptisms and so on.
Ndole (Vernonia amygdalina) itself is not available in the States, and
is a very bitter leaf that requires a complicated and fascinating
process of "washing", in order to reduce the bitterness. We will be
using kale or turnip greens instead of ndole. I learned this recipe
from a combination of three women in the Western and Northwestern
Provinces of Cameroon -- Gnetegha Collette, Fru Julie, and Dorothy
Tanwani.
INGREDIENTS:
Kale or Turnip Greens (10 quarts when still raw)
Raw,
Skinless peanuts (2-4 cups)
Tomatoes (6)
Garlic (4-7 cloves)
White Pepper (35 peppercorns)
Leek (1)
Onion (1.5)
Bouillon Cubes (3)
Salt (to taste)
Hot Peppers (Scotch Bonnets, if possible)
Fresh Celery Leaves and Parsley (to taste)
Meat (2 pounds) or Fish (Cameroonians often use Cod)
Vegetable Oil
Clean the greens, removing the stems, and cut into small pieces.
Soak the peanuts in plain water for 30-45 minutes. While they are
soaking, cut the meat into pieces, and boil with 1/2 onion and a small
quantity of salt, until well cooked. Note that once the meat is cooked,
you will drain it and save the stock. Blend the tomatoes and 1/2 leek
(the white part). Cut 1/2 onion, a bit of parsley, and a bit of celery
leaves into small pieces. In your food processor, grind the other 1/2
leek, white pepper, hot pepper, ginger, and garlic. Now, drain the
peanuts and puree in a blender with 1/2 onion and just enough water for
the blending.
Heat oil until very hot, and add the sliced 1/2 onion, parsley and
celery leaves. After a couple of minutes, add the blended tomato mix.
Let this cook for several minutes, and then add the meat. Now, take
half of the ingredients that you ground in the food processor, and add
to the sauce, along with some of the meat stock. Let this cook for 5 to
10 minutes, stirring periodically, and then add the blended peanut
mixture, along with a bit of salt and the cubes.
A note on the blended peanuts -- you want the peanuts to be noticeable
in, but not dominate the sauce, so experiment with the quantity that
seems appealing.
Add a small amount of meat stock (or plain water if the stock is
insufficient) and the greens. Let this cook for a few minutes, and then
add more water as needed, and the rest of the ground ingredients. Add
salt to taste, and stir with regularity so that the sauce doesn't burn.
I recommend a medium heat.
As with many sauces in Cameroon, Ndole is thick and not watery. Let the
sauce cook another 5 to 10 minutes, again stirring.
At the end, some people add oil which has been heated in a frying pan,
so that you can see the oil floating on the surface of the sauce, but I
prefer not to do this.
Ndole is great with plantains and rice. In Cameroon, it is also served
with boiled tubers, or fermented cassava that has been pounded and
steamed in leaves.
Contributed by Robin Swett
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