Ndomba

Ingredients

The fish or meat

• 1 kgfirm white fish
• in large pieces
• or chicken, or beef
• juice of 2 limes
• salt

The seasoning

• 3onions, finely chopped
• 6garlic cloves, crushed
• 3cm ginger, grated
• 4hot chillies, chopped
• or to taste
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 4spring onions, chopped
• 1 tablespooncountry pepper
• or black pepper
• 3 tablespoonsoil
• salt

To wrap and steam

• banana leaves
• softened over a flame
• string, for tying
• water, for the steamer
• or embers, for the fire

To serve

• with plantain
• or cassava
• or rice

Directions

1. Adjust it if you want rather less. Hot chillies leave oils on the skin. Wash hands and boards thoroughly. A firm white fish holds together best. Cut out the thick central rib. The central rib is stiff and will not fold. Discard the rib itself entirely. That takes only a few seconds. Cut the fish into large pieces. Rub salt and lime juice over them. Let them sit for fifteen minutes.
2. Salt firms the surface of the flesh. Fifteen minutes is enough for both. Put the chopped onions in a bowl. Add the crushed garlic and grated ginger. Add the chopped chillies to them. Add the tomatoes and spring onions. Add the country pepper and the oil. Season it well with plenty of salt. Everything must be chopped very finely.
3. Chop it all as finely as you can. Work the seasoning together with your hands. Work it for a few full minutes. Add the fish pieces to the seasoning. Turn them so they are all coated. Every surface should be covered. Use your hands rather than a spoon.
4. Cover it over and refrigerate it. Give it about one full hour there. Lay a softened leaf flat on the board. Put fish and seasoning in the middle. Do not overfill any of them at all.
5. Fold the sides of the leaf over the fish. Use two leaves for each parcel. Tie each parcel firmly with string. Wrap the string round both ways. Steam pressure pushes the folds apart. Tie every one before it goes in. Put water in the bottom of a large pot.
6. Set a rack or trivet above it. The parcels must sit above the water. Cover the pot tightly with a lid. Bring the water to a steady boil. Let them steam for about forty minutes. The fish itself cooks in ten minutes. Check it every fifteen minutes or so. Add boiling water if it runs low. A dry pot burns very quickly indeed.
7. Set all the parcels down on them. Turn them over every ten minutes. Let the fire burn right down first. Keep the parcels turning throughout. Judging them takes a careful check. Let it stand a moment before opening. Serving it is done in the leaf. Bring the parcels to the table closed. Serve plantain or cassava alongside. It keeps two days refrigerated. Steam it again briefly to reheat.

Technique

• Everything is enclosed in banana leaf and cooks in its own juices, none of which escape — that is the whole principle. The fish steams in its own liquid and stays far moister than grilling, the seasoning concentrates rather than washing away, and the leaf gives a distinct grassy note that comes through into the food rather than being merely a wrapper.
• Use two overlapping leaves for each parcel and tie it firmly in both directions: fish releases a lot of liquid, a single leaf leaks, and steam pressure pushes the folds apart on an untied parcel.
• Country pepper covers several Cameroonian forest spices including njansang and pebe, which give an aromatic depth that black pepper does not replace — it gives heat without the aroma, and the atlas says so rather than pretending otherwise.

Substitutions

• Chicken or beef stands in for fish and is cooked the same way, though it needs longer.
• Foil stands in where banana leaves are unavailable, though it holds the shape without adding any flavour.

Variations

• It is steamed in a pot or cooked over a bed of embers; embers give a faint smoke that a steamer lacks, and both are used.
• Chop the seasoning very finely and work it with your hands, which releases the onion juice that carries the flavour and binds the mixture.
• Bring the parcels to the table closed for each person to open, since the aroma rising from the leaf is much of the point.

History

A Bassa preparation of the coastal forest, the parcel steamed over embers so nothing escapes but the aroma of the leaf.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ndomba?

Ndomba is a main from Cameroon: fish or meat steamed in banana leaves with chili and country spices. A Bassa preparation of the coastal forest, the parcel steamed over embers so nothing escapes but the aroma of the leaf.

How long does Ndomba take to make?

Ndomba takes 40 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Ndomba?

Yes, within limits. Chicken or beef stands in for fish and is cooked the same way, though it needs longer. Foil stands in where banana leaves are unavailable, though it holds the shape without adding any flavour.

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

Salt firms the surface of the flesh. Fifteen minutes is enough for both. Put the chopped onions in a bowl. Add the crushed garlic and grated ginger. Add the chopped chillies to them. Add the tomatoes and spring onions. Add the country pepper and the oil. Season it well with plenty of salt. Everything must be chopped very finely.