Ndolé

Ndolé (Cameroonian Bitterleaf and Groundnut Stew)

Cameroon's national dish: bitterleaf simmered with groundnuts into a dark, creamy stew, enriched with beef, smoked fish and prawns. The key is washing the bitterleaf repeatedly to tame its bitterness before it meets the peanut paste.

Prep

40 min

Cook

90 min

Total

130 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (9 oz) dried bitterleaf (feuilles de ndolé), or 500 g fresh bitterleaf; see step 1 for washing
• •300 g (10½ oz) beef chuck or shin, cut into 3 cm cubes
• •150 g (5½ oz) smoked fish (mackerel or hake), bone-in, broken into large pieces
• •200 g (7 oz) raw prawns, shell-on for stock, or peeled; see note
• •250 g (9 oz) raw groundnuts (peanuts), or 200 g smooth peanut butter with no added sugar
• •3 whole medium onions, 2 finely chopped, 1 blended to a paste
• •100 ml (3½ fl oz) palm oil, red palm oil; substitute neutral vegetable oil if unavailable
• •4 cloves garlic, crushed
• •1 tsp ground ginger, or 10 g fresh, grated
• •2 whole Scotch bonnet chillies, whole, for flavour only - do not burst unless you want it hot
• •1.5 l (2½ pints) water, plus more for washing the bitterleaf
• •2 tsp salt, to taste
• •1 tsp black pepper, optional

Steps

1. 1 WASH THE BITTERLEAF: If using dried bitterleaf, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes. Place the leaves in a large bowl, cover with water and rub vigorously between your hands like washing laundry. Drain and repeat 5–6 times, changing the water each time, until the water runs fairly clear and the leaves taste only mildly bitter. Squeeze out as much water as possible and set aside. (With fresh bitterleaf, wash 8–10 times - the bitterness is stronger.)
2. 2 Toast the raw groundnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Cool, then grind to a fine powder or paste in a blender or food processor. If using peanut butter, skip this step.
3. 3 Place the beef cubes in a heavy pot with 500 ml (16 fl oz) water, one chopped onion, the garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, skim off the scum, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until the beef is tender when pierced with a knife.
4. 4 Add the washed bitterleaf to the pot with the beef and its broth. Add the blended onion paste and the whole Scotch bonnets. Simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the leaves are very soft and the liquid has reduced by about half.
5. 5 Stir in the groundnut paste (or peanut butter) and the smoked fish pieces. Reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the stew is thick, dark and the oil begins to separate at the edges. The groundnut paste must be fully cooked through - it should smell roasted, not raw.
6. 6 Add the prawns and cook for a further 5–7 minutes. Prawns are done when they turn opaque pink and curl into a C shape; if they form a tight O, they are overcooked. If using shell-on prawns, add them earlier (step 5) so the shells flavour the stew, then remove shells before serving.
7. 7 Stir in the palm oil and the remaining chopped onion. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the salt - ndolé should be savoury with a pleasant, clean bitterness and a rich peanut depth.
8. 8 Remove and discard the whole chillies (unless you burst one deliberately for heat). Serve hot with boiled white rice, plantain, or fufu.