Corn fufu and njama njama

Ingredients

Corn fufu

• 500 gfine maize flour
• 1.2 litreswater
• 1 teaspoonsalt

Njama njama

• 800 gnjama njama leaves, huckleberry greens
• or 800 g spinach or kale
• water, for washing and boiling

To cook the greens

• 2onions, sliced
• 4 tablespoonspalm oil or vegetable oil
• 3tomatoes, chopped
• 1stock cube
• 2chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 100 ggroundnut paste, optional

Sometimes added

• smoked fish, flaked
• crayfish powder
• a little baking soda

Directions

1. Pick the leaves from their stems. Discard any thick or woody stalks. Wash them in several changes of cold water. Lift them out rather than pouring the water off. Repeat until the water runs completely clear. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add all of the washed green leaves.
2. Boil them for about eight minutes. That takes the edge off the bitterness. Use only a very small pinch if you do. Too much gives a soapy taste and a slimy texture. Drain them and squeeze out the water. Squeezing them dry matters for the next step. Mix some of the maize flour with cold water. Make a smooth thin slurry with no lumps.
3. Bring the rest of the water to a boil. Add the salt to the boiling water. Pour the slurry in while stirring hard. Let it cook for about five minutes. Stir vigorously with a strong wooden spoon. It thickens rapidly and becomes very stiff. Keep working it against the side of the pot. Press out every lump you find.
4. Cook it for about fifteen minutes. Judging the fufu takes practice. Cook it for longer if it does. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the sliced onions to the oil. Cook them for about eight minutes until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and the chillies. Cook them down for about six minutes.
5. Crumble the stock cube into it. Add the drained boiled greens. Stir them through the base thoroughly. Let them cook together for ten minutes. Loosen the groundnut paste with hot water first.
6. Whisk it into a smooth thin cream. Stir it through all of the greens. They should be soft but still hold shape. Cook off any excess over a higher heat. Taste them and adjust the salt. Wet a small bowl with cold water. Spoon fufu into it and swirl it round. That shapes it into a smooth mound. Turn it out onto a warm plate. Repeat that for every portion. Serving it is done hot together.
7. Set a mound of fufu on each plate. Spoon the greens beside the mound. Pinch off a piece of fufu and roll it. Press a hollow into it with your thumb. Use that hollow to scoop up the greens. It keeps two days refrigerated.

Technique

• Njama njama is Solanum scabrum, African nightshade or garden huckleberry, grown widely in the Bamenda highlands and sold in bundles at every market there.
• The cultivated leaves are eaten widely and safely when cooked, but wild nightshades should never be gathered by anyone unable to identify them, and unripe green berries of many Solanum species contain solanine.
• Corn fufu is stiff enough to pinch and roll in the hand, which is what lets it scoop up the greens.

Substitutions

• Spinach or kale stand in for njama njama, though both are milder and less bitter.
• Frozen njama njama is sold in African shops and works well.

Variations

• Some households add groundnut paste for a richer dish, though that makes it unsafe for peanut allergy.
• Smoked fish or crayfish powder are added in many families.
• Water fufu, made from fermented cassava, is the other fufu eaten with the same greens.

History

Njama njama is Solanum scabrum huckleberry, grown in the Bamenda highlands and cooked down as the everyday partner to maize fufu.

Frequently asked questions

What is Corn fufu and njama njama?

Corn fufu and njama njama is a main from Cameroon: grassfields corn dough with sautéed huckleberry greens. Njama njama is Solanum scabrum huckleberry, grown in the Bamenda highlands and cooked down as the everyday partner to maize fufu.

How long does Corn fufu and njama njama take to make?

Corn fufu and njama njama takes 20 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Corn fufu and njama njama?

Yes, within limits. Spinach or kale stand in for njama njama, though both are milder and less bitter. Frozen njama njama is sold in African shops and works well.

What is the most important thing to get right in Corn fufu and njama njama?

Pick the leaves from their stems. Discard any thick or woody stalks. Wash them in several changes of cold water. Lift them out rather than pouring the water off. Repeat until the water runs completely clear. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add all of the washed green leaves.