Tender cassava leaves cooked down with smoked fish, palm oil, and peanuts into a thick, savory stew bursting with layers of smoky, nutty, and earthy flavors.
Ingredients
800g cassava leaves, finely shredded
300g smoked fish
100g roasted peanuts, ground
3 tbsp palm oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 scotch bonnet pepper
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 eggplant, cubed
1 bouillon cube
Instructions
1Shred cassava leaves very finely and boil in water for twenty minutes to remove bitterness. Drain well and squeeze out excess moisture.
2Soak smoked fish briefly, then remove bones and skin. Flake into large pieces. Grind roasted peanuts into a coarse paste.
3Heat palm oil in a large pot. Saute diced onions for five minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook one minute.
4Add drained cassava leaves, cubed eggplant, ground peanut paste, scotch bonnet pepper, bouillon cube, and two cups of water.
5Simmer covered on low heat for forty-five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are very tender and the stew is thick.
6Add flaked smoked fish in the last ten minutes of cooking. Stir gently to distribute without breaking the fish too much. Serve with fufu or rice.
Did You Know?
The addition of ground peanuts to cassava leaf stew is a distinctly Republic of Congo touch that differentiates their version from the DRC's simpler preparations.