Pondu

Wash cassava leaves thoroughly and pound or shred them very finely. Traditional preparation calls for pounding in a mortar until the leaves are almost paste-like.

Boil the pounded cassava leaves in water for twenty minutes to remove bitterness. Drain and squeeze out excess water.

Rehydrate dried shrimp in warm water for ten minutes. Heat palm oil in a large pot and saute diced onions and garlic until softened.

Add the drained cassava leaves, dried shrimp, cubed eggplant, scotch bonnet pepper, and bouillon cube to the pot with two cups of fresh water.

Cover and simmer on low heat for forty-five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are very tender and the stew is thick and dark green.

Adjust salt and serve hot with fufu, chikwanga, or steamed white rice. The stew should be thick enough to scoop with fufu.