West Africa · Side
Kopto (Warm Moringa Leaf Salad with Peanut Powder)
Tender moringa greens tossed warm with coarse roasted peanut powder, pungent soumbala, sliced red onions, and hot unrefined peanut oil.
The story
Originating among the Zarma and Songhai peoples living along the Niger River basin in Niamey and Tillabéri, Kopto is an indispensable midday accompaniment often served alongside boiled cassava or white rice. Moringa oleifera, locally termed windi bundu or kopto, thrives in arid domestic compounds across Niger, offering year-round mineral richness. Traditional cooks blanch the leaves with a trace of alkaline potash (kanwa), an essential step that neutralizes inherent bitterness while setting an intensely vibrant emerald hue.
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