Although I have never been to Cameroon, I was happy to try some recipes from my Cameroonian friend Henshaw. In fact, I have made all of the ones that he shared, and this recipe for Ndole was my favourite. Before trying this unique combination of ingredients, I would never have thought to mix shrimp and peanuts in the same dish. The flavours blend well together, and it is a well-rounded meal in one stew. In the end, the result was very tasty and we enjoyed it with some rice. However, I do not know how this compares to the authentic version, since I’ve not yet been to Cameroon!
Ingredients
300g of peeled groundnuts or peanuts
150g bitterleaf and/or spinach
1/2 tsp of baking soda (for blanching vegetables)
100g crayfish- coarsely blended or chopped
600g boiled beef, smoked fish and/or shrimp
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 inch of ginger, peeled
1 Maggi crevette (crayfish seasoning cube)
2 vegetarian bouillon cubes (Maggi or Knorr)
1 large onion
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 habanero pepper (aka Scotch bonnet, optional)
Salt and white pepper
Instructions
First, put your groundnuts in a pot and add just enough water to cover the nuts. Boil for 5 minutes. Then set aside to cool.
If using shrimp, season them with a little salt and white pepper. Then set aside to marinate.
Next, chop up the spinach. Add water in a pot to boil and put in salt and baking soda. The baking soda helps the vegetables retain their green colour. Add the bitterleaf first, if you are using it. Then check that it is tender before adding the spinach. Add the spinach then remove the pot from heat. Let it sit for two minutes then quickly drain and rinse the vegetables with cold water.
In a small food processor, roughly blend the boiled groundnuts, half of the onion, garlic, ginger and habanero pepper (if using). Blend in batches if your food processor is small. Do not make the mixture too smooth.
Next, bring about 1 litre of water to boil in a pot. If you are using beef or smoked fish then add this into the pot. For shrimp, see below. Then add the blended groundnut mixture. Add in crayfish and stir. Then add the vegetables. Let simmer for about 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
Add the Maggi crevette and other seasoning cubes. Taste to ensure the seasoning is balanced. If you want to make the dish spicy, add the habanero pepper.
Now chop the remaining half of an onion. Heat oil over medium in a frying pan and saute the onions. Then add in the shrimp. Saute them for 3 minutes and then add into the ground nut mixture.
Finally, serve with boiled plantains, boiled yams, miondo, boiled rice or garri.
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