Ndolé

Ingredients

Bitterleaf

• 600 gfresh or frozen bitterleaf (ndolé, Vernonia amygdalina), washed
• 2 tbspcoarse salt, for scrubbing

Peanut base

• 300 graw peanuts, boiled 15 min and drained
• 3onions, chopped
• 6garlic cloves
• 20 gfresh ginger
• 2stock cubes
• 1 tspground white pepper

Protein

• 600 gbeef shin, in cubes
• 300 graw prawns, peeled
• 200 gsmoked fish, flaked and boned
• 60 gdried crayfish, ground

Fat and finish

• 150 mlgroundnut oil
• 500 mlwater or beef broth
• 1 tspsalt
• 1hot chilli, chopped

To serve

• Fried ripe plantains, or bobolo/miondo (fermented cassava sticks)

Directions

1. Scrub the bitterleaf hard with the coarse salt between your palms, then rinse in several changes of water, squeezing each time. Repeat until the water runs clear and a leaf tasted raw is only faintly bitter — this takes three or four washes and is the whole difference between a good and an inedible ndolé.
2. Boil the washed leaves in fresh water for 15 minutes, drain and squeeze dry, then chop roughly.
3. Simmer the beef with one chopped onion, a stock cube, salt and 500 ml water for 45 to 60 minutes until tender. Keep the broth.
4. Boil the peanuts 15 minutes to soften them, drain, then blend with the remaining onions, garlic, ginger and enough broth to make a thick, smooth paste — the consistency of hummus.
5. Fry the peanut paste in half the groundnut oil over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly so it does not catch, until it darkens slightly and smells toasted.
6. Add the beef broth gradually to loosen it, then the ground crayfish, smoked fish, white pepper and chilli. Simmer 15 minutes; the sauce should be thick and only just pourable.
7. Fold in the bitterleaf and the cooked beef and simmer a further 15 minutes so the leaves absorb the peanut sauce and turn dark green-brown.
8. Fry the prawns in the remaining oil for 2 minutes, then stir them in at the last moment with their oil, taste for salt, and serve with fried ripe plantains or bobolo.

Technique

• Ndolé is the dish Cameroon claims as its national plate, particularly in Douala and among the Sawa peoples. It is served at weddings and funerals and judged entirely on the balance between bitterness and the richness of the peanuts.
• The washing of the leaves is a real technique, not a formality. Under-washed ndolé is aggressively bitter; over-washed and boiled to death, it loses the character that gives the dish its name.
• Boiling the peanuts before grinding, rather than roasting them, keeps the sauce pale and creamy. Roasted peanut paste makes a darker, heavier sauce closer to a West African groundnut stew.

Substitutions

• No bitterleaf: frozen bitterleaf is widely sold; failing that, use spinach with 100 g of well-washed dandelion or mustard greens for bitterness. It will not be authentic but it will be honest.
• Peanut butter can replace the ground peanuts — use 250 g of unsweetened, and skip the boiling step.

Variations

• Ndolé aux crevettes, made with prawns alone, is the coastal Douala version and the one served at celebrations.
• A meat-free version made with smoked fish and crayfish alone is common during fasting periods.

History

A Douala and Sawa dish of bitterleaf boiled repeatedly to tame it, then cooked with groundnut paste; widely treated as Cameroon’s national dish.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ndolé?

Ndolé is a soup & stew from Cameroon: bitterleaf simmered with peanuts, shrimp and beef; served with plantains or bobolo. A Douala and Sawa dish of bitterleaf boiled repeatedly to tame it, then cooked with groundnut paste; widely treated as Cameroon’s national dish.

How long does Ndolé take to make?

Ndolé takes 45 min of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Ndolé?

Yes, within limits. No bitterleaf: frozen bitterleaf is widely sold; failing that, use spinach with 100 g of well-washed dandelion or mustard greens for bitterness. It will not be authentic but it will be honest. Peanut butter can replace the ground peanuts — use 250 g of unsweetened, and skip the boiling step.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ndolé?

Scrub the bitterleaf hard with the coarse salt between your palms, then rinse in several changes of water, squeezing each time. Repeat until the water runs clear and a leaf tasted raw is only faintly bitter — this takes three or four washes and is the whole difference between a good and an inedible ndolé.