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Cameroon Traditional dinner hard

Cameroonian Ndole

Cameroon's national dish — bitter leaves and spinach cooked down in a rich ground peanut and beef broth sauce, loaded with stewing beef and finished with king prawns fried in red palm oil. Served with boiled plantain and dodo.

Cameroonian Ndole
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 75 min
Serves: 4
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Ndole is a slow-built stew centred on bitter leaves — the same plant the dish is named after — cooked down with a peanut and broth sauce, chunks of stewing beef, and finished with king prawns fried in red palm oil. It is the national dish of Cameroon and it rewards patience.

Instructions

Prep

  1. Onions: halve one (for the beef pot), roughly chop one (for the blender), thinly slice one (for the prawns). Keep separate.
  2. Garlic and ginger: peel — no need to crush or grate, they go straight into the blender.
  3. Scotch bonnet: deseed and set aside.
  4. Spinach: roughly chop in batches.

Cook the Beef

  1. Transfer the stewing beef to a pot. Add the halved onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 stock cubes. Cover with ~1 litre of water.
  2. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40–50 minutes until the beef is fall-apart tender.
  3. Remove the beef and set aside. Reserve all the broth.

Cook the Peanuts

  1. While the beef cooks, place the peanuts in a separate pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and leave to cool slightly.

Blend the Sauce

  1. Add the roughly chopped onion, remaining 4 garlic cloves, ginger, cooled peanuts, and 1 cup of beef broth to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add more broth if it struggles.

Build the Ndole

  1. Pour the blended sauce into a large pan. Add another cup of beef broth, the ground crayfish, scotch bonnet, 2 more stock cubes, and the cooked beef. Stir to combine.
  2. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
  3. Add the bitter leaves and spinach gradually, allowing them to wilt and fit in the pot. Cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Fry the Prawns

  1. In a separate pan, heat the red palm oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and cook for 6–8 minutes until softening.
  2. Add the king prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes. Try not to stir too much — you want some colour. Reserve a few prawns for plating.
  3. Tip everything — prawns, onion, oil and all — into the ndole. The palm oil gives it a glossy finish.

Boiled Plantain

  1. Peel and halve the plantain. Transfer to a pot of salted water and boil for ~20 minutes until soft.

Dodo (Fried Plantain)

  1. Peel the plantain and slice on the diagonal (the angle increases surface area for better frying).
  2. Fry in neutral oil over medium heat for ~3 minutes per side until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel.

Plate

  1. Spoon the ndole into bowls. Add boiled plantain and dodo on the side. Top with the reserved prawns. Season with salt if needed.

Verdict

The bitter leaves were appropriately named. This is one of the most bitter things you’ll eat — whether that’s down to a particularly strong batch or just the nature of the dish is hard to say. The peanut sauce is rich and well-built, the prawns are excellent, and the dodo is genuinely delicious. But the bitterness dominates everything else. Proceed with awareness.