Central Africa · Main

Ngoundja (Braised Cassava Leaves with Peanut Paste)

Name: Ngoundja (Braised Cassava Leaves with Peanut Paste)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Central African Republic
Ingredients: 500 g fresh young cassava leaves, finely pounded (or thawed frozen cassava leaves / pondu); 300 g smoked catfish or captain fish, deboned and flaked into large pieces; 200 g smooth unsweetened roasted peanut paste (pure groundnut butter); 60 ml unrefined red palm oil; 150 g yellow onion, finely minced; 15 g garlic, finely grated (approx. 3 cloves); 2 pieces fresh habanero or scotch bonnet peppers (pili-pili), kept whole; 1000 ml water, divided; 3 g baking soda (traditional potash substitute to soften fibrous greens); 6 g fine sea salt (or to taste); 2 g ground black pepper

Tender pounded cassava greens simmered low with aromatic smoked fish, rich roasted peanut butter, and pungent garlic in a velvety stew.

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central-africancassava-leavespeanut-stewcomfort-food

The story

Ubiquitous across the riverine hubs and savannah plateaus of the Central African Republic, Ngoundja is the nation's quintessential midday staple eaten alongside warm cassava fufu. While prepared across Gbaya, Banda, and Yakoma households, its secret lies in the meticulous pre-boiling of raw cassava foliage to vaporise toxic cyanogenic glucosides. Historically, grinding the greens in a heavy wooden mortar breaks cellular walls far more thoroughly than modern blending, yielding an exceptionally silkier sauce.

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