Ndolé — Cameroon

Ndolé takes its name from Vernonia, a leafy green known locally as ndolé, whose slightly bitter leaves are cooked fresh or, less often, dried. The leaves are simmered in a thick sauce built on ground peanuts, giving the stew a rich, nutty base under its characteristic bitterness. It is reported across Cameroon, in coastal cities and inland alike, and is widely regarded as a dish that represents Cameroonian cooking at gatherings and everyday meals. Versions differ by household in the balance of leaves, peanuts and protein, and in whether fish, shrimp, beef or a mix of these is used. Fresh bitterleaf is boiled and rinsed several times to soften its bitterness, then chopped. Peanuts are ground into a paste and cooked down with onion, garlic and stock until thickened, before the leaves are folded in along with pieces of meat, dried or smoked fish and shrimp. The stew simmers until the sauce is dense and the leaves are tender, and is usually seasoned with chilli. What distinguishes a given pot of ndolé is mainly the choice and mix of protein — smoked fish, stockfish, shrimp, beef or a combination — and how much the bitterleaf is rinsed, which changes how pronounced its bitterness stays in the finished sauce. It is most often served with boiled or fried plantain, cassava, or rice, chosen according to what the cook has on hand.