Ndole – An aromatic Cameroonian spinach stew made of spinach and bitter leaves – flavored with garlic, crayfish and fortified with shrimp and beef. Comfort food at its best.
At the top of my favorite Cameroonian dishes is Ndole. Oh yes! A dish I learned to cook from my childhood friend Lawrence, who is an amazing cook.
If you attend a Cameroonian party it is always present and when cooked properly flies off the table. You know why?
It is absolutely irresistible!!!
A combination of peanuts, bitter leaves (substitute spinach), meat (stock fish, shrimp,) crayfish (dried shrimp) and oil. It tastes like stew spinach dip, but even better! With aromatic spices and meat. Can be prepared in so many ways with more or less vegetables and meat depending on personal taste.
If I could eat this every day I would, It is rich, high in calories and loved by many. Often referred to as the national dish of my home country Cameroon.
For my health conscious peeps; cut back on the the oil and peanuts. And go heavy on the spinach. (If you are watching your waistline.)
If using fresh spinach, wash the leaves well, rinse properly and then chop the spinach and blanch for 2 minutes. Frozen chopped spinach works just as well. If you can’t get a hold of bitter leaves then by all means use spinach.
Bitter leaf is one of those vegetables that can be cultivated anywhere as oppose to certain vegetables that can only flourish in certain temperatures and places.
So if you are a gardener you can plant it and enjoy fresh bitter leaf anywhere you are. True to its name, bitter leaf is very bitter. You have to wash it (rubbing the leaves together) thoroughly before cooking till most of the bitterness is gone. Using carbonated soda can also aid in this process.
Notes
- If using dry bitter leaves soak overnight and cook for 15 minutes using 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda. Rinse thoroughly and drain.
- You can use any combination of the meat. More or less according to preference
- Dry Crayfish can be bought in African Stores and if you are lucky you can get some at hispanic or asian markets. It is still delicious without it.
- Soak stockfish overnight to help tenderize the fish
- This dish is best with its time-honored mate, Miondo/Bobolo (fermented cassava) or how my niece calls it “bobolow” and is exciting in the company of Plantains (boiled or fried).
Julia says
Hello there and thanks for all your recipes. My husband is cameroonian and i am now trying to learn how to prepare some meals of his home land. I had a question in reference to this recipe about the 3 cups of oil. In the last step#7 it says(Finally incorporate the mixture of shrimp, onions and oil into the pot of Ndole. Stir for a few minutes and serve hot ???? Are you actually putting the 3 cups of oil in the whole pot????? I am sorry to question this but i want to be sure. It is my goal to try and prepare one of your recipes each week.
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, most people do. Some of the oil is used for frying the beef. Start with about a cup and go from there. You can always add more at the end.
Chichi says
What kind of oil did you use. Palm oil or groundnut oil. Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
I used groundnut oil
Chichi says
This is a lovely mix of peanuts and vegetables. Bitter leaf is called onugbu by my people the Igbo tribe in Nigeria . Africa is indeed endowed with lovely dishes. I love peanuts I definitely will be trying this out and linking back to you. I blog about Nigerian foods and other delicious recipes from around the globe at http://www.mydiasporakitchen.com. I love your site and the rich culture it showcases. Keep up the good work.
Etido Akpan says
This is great. I am Nigrian. I just finished a plate of Ndole. This is my first time. It is very delicious
ImmaculateBites says
Glad you enjoyed it !!! So happy hear this. This dish transcends boarders… Sooooo enjoyable!!!
Caroline Mboubog Nkembe says
Merci Emma. Loving it.
ImmaculateBites says
Par de quoi! Glad you are .
Michael Kane says
Hi! I was born in my father’s native country of Cameroon and grew up in Yaounde until I moved to my mother’s native country of the United States back when I was in high school in 1996. Anyways, I always enjoyed eating ndole when I was living in Cameroon, but I haven’t been back to visit since 2000 (been busy with work). I saw your blog online as I was researching ways to make ndole here in Indiana where I currently live. Like many other states, Indiana is not a state with easy access to African stores so the only way I get the ingredients I need to make ndole is if I can buy them online. Through your blog I discovered Nina International which made me very excited because I never knew I could buy bitter leaves online, let alone in the United States. While I’m continuing to do my online research, I have a few questions I would really appreciate if you could help me answer them or point me in the right direction. First, what kind of skinless peanuts do you use to make ndole as there are tons of different types of peanuts I see online? Sorry, I’m not a peanut expert, but would like to know the type of peanut I should look for. Do you have a manufacturer brand and/or specific name of a type of peanut I could use to find what I need? Also, do you know any great online websites you could share where I could buy the ingredients I will need to make ndole and African food in general? Because of your blog, I feel like I’m one step closer to eating my childhood favorite Cameroonian meal again. Thank you! Now if only I could also make Miondo/Bobolo here in the United States I would feel complete :-).
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Michael, Glad you are here. And I so understand the cravings for childhood favorites.
– Any skinless peanuts would work – really do not have preference, you can easily pick get them in Asian super markets.
– Here is an African Storehttp://tropicalfoodinc.com/contact_us.php in Maryland that sells African and Cameroonian hard to find groceries. Guess what? they even carry miondo. Yes your lucky day. Hope everything turns out well for you. Happy cooking
linz says
I love that but bitterleaf need not be bitter after washing it.cuz we wash it here with what we call here«cangwa».what we do is we boil water first and when d water is boile we put in enough cangwa and bitterleaf.when d bitterleaf get soft u take out from d fire and wash with hands ensurx u wash every trace of d cangwa.rince well and it’s ready now to be used
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for sharing with us!
Cassandra says
Do you use raw peanuts as the sauce base or do the peanuts need to be roasted? Thanks.
ImmaculateBites says
I do not roast the peanuts I use raw peanuts- boil them,then blend. It is most often made with peanuts that have their skin removed . However, you can use peanuts with skin if you can’t find the latter.
Lang says
can I substitute almond for peanut
ImmaculateBites says
I don’t see why not. Let me know how it works for you!
carine says
HEY GREAT RECIPE YOU HAVE HERE . THANKS SO MUCH WILL COOK THIS ON MY HUSBAND BIRTH DAY . PLS I NEED TO COOK FOR 10 PPLE HOW DO I DO THE ESTIMATES? THANKS
ImmaculateBites says
Jaff, I measured out the ingredients in pounds. So it is easier to know the exact measurement. I live in Los Angeles and everything is sold by the pound. We get our bitter-leaves dried from Africa or African Markets.
Jaff says
What do you mean by 1 pound of bitterleaf? im not too clear on the ‘pound’ measurements here. Ndole here is usually sold as round sizeable lumps, about the size of an orange, and already washed. So by 1 pound do you mean 1 lump?
Thanks for the recipes. Tried your mbongo the other day and it was a blast at home!
jason says
how bitter should this ndole taste? i made some using bittermelon leaves…is that a good alternative to bitter leaf? i can only find bittermelon leaves in my area. the dish tastes pretty good but i think i added toooo many bittermelon leaves, as it was a bit too, well…bitter. hehe. next time i won’t add as much bittermelon leaf.
ImmaculateBites says
Jason, bitterleaf should be slightly bitter after washing. What I do is add spinach to the soup to counter the bitterness. Thanks for stopping by!
Uncle Bill says
Greetings from Montana,I am Uncle Bill,I also love to cook African Food,I have been lucky to have friend from there who teach me the “Real Stuff” As you can think African Ingredients are hard to find here in Montana! I have Friends send me Palm oil & Palm Butter,and some times Palm Wine. I love your web-site,Uncle Bill
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Uncle Bill, I know what you mean about hard to find ingredients. Right now I need good quality crayfish. Thanks for stopping by!
kelsey says
Hi Imma, I am wondering why some Ndole looks greenish when cooked than others. I really like my Ndole to look green but don’t know how or is it because I use dried bitter leaf? I mix spinach and bitter leaf for my Ndole. Also, I never knew I could use spinach alone to prepare Ndole because I always mix it with bitter leaf. Thank you!!
Africanbites says
Kelsey where do you get your bitter leaves? I think it makes a huge difference, ndole that has a pronounce green color uses fresh bitter leaves or one that has been lightly dried. Some African stores now carry fresh bitter leaves packaged by Nina International. I just picked up one in Maryland and have yet to try it. I do not buy the dried bitter leaves from the store anymore.
I have cooked ndole with spinach only and it taste great. However, you do not get the bitter flavor which gives ndole it’s distinctive flavor.
Heidi says
What about using kale?
ImmaculateBites says
Kale would do just fine.
Heidi says
Thank you!