Savoring Cameroon: Exploring Some Culinary Dishes

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SEASON 5, EPISODE 1

Cameroon is an African country located in Central Africa, surrounded by Chad to the northeast, Republic of Nigeria to the west, Central African Republic to the east and Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea to the south.

It covers an area of 475,442 km² with a population of over 27 million people, having over 250 diverse ethnic groups with official languages as English and French. It is often referred to as ‘Mini Africa’ because of its rich cultural and geographical diversity.

Cameroonian cuisine is diverse and today, we will be looking at some popular dishes which you can try out on your own.


Ndolé

Ndolé is a traditional Cameroonian dish which is sometimes considered as the National dish of Cameroon. This dish is made from bitterleaf which is the main ingredient, combined with a variety of meats and sometimes shrimps or other seafood.

A dish of Ndolé
Photo credit: Afrovitalityeats

Below are the ingredient and steps on how to make Ndolé.

Ingredients

  • Seasoning cubes
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cooking oil
  • Chopped Onion
  • Minced garlic
  • Shrimps
  • 1 kg of meat 
  • Roasted Groundnuts
  • 2-3 cups of bitterleaf
  • Water

Steps to Prepare Ndolé

  1. Wash and rinse the bitterleaf thoroughly with water and salt to remove the bitter taste if it hasn’t already been done.
  2. Put your washed meat inside a cooking pot. Add some seasoning cubes, salt, chopped onions and water. Cover and allow to boil.
  3. Pour the groundnuts into a blender or a mortar and pestle, add a little water and grind/pound into smooth paste.
  4. Heat some quantity of oil inside a cooking pot. Add the chopped onions, minced garlic and turn the mixture for some minutes.
  5. Pour in the groundnut paste into the pot and stir for some minutes. Add some quantity of water and allow to cook for a few minutes.
  6. Add seasoning cubes, salt, blended pepper and meat stock, stir and allow it to cook for some minutes.
  7. After it has shimmered, add the bitterleaves and shrimps, cover and allow ndolé to cook well.



Koki Corn

This is a Traditional Cameroonian dish which is made from ground fresh corn, corn flour wrapped in banana leaves like moi-moi and steamed.

  • Fresh corn kernels
  • Corn flour
  • Banana leaves
  • Chopped spinach
  • Salt
  • Palm oil
  • Water
  • Aluminium foil
  • Photo Credit: Precious Core

Photo Credit: Precious Core

Below are the ingredient and steps on how to make Koki Corn

Steps to prepare Koko Corn

  1. Pour the fresh corn kernels inside a food processor or blender, add little water and blend it until the texture turns coarse.
  2. Pour the blended mixture into a clean bowl, add the corn flour and stir. Add salt and palm oil and continue to stir.
  3. Add the chopped spinach into the mixture and stir well.
  4. Wash the banana leaves and wrap them so they form a cone shape. Use a cooking spoon to pour the koki corn mixture into each wrapped leaf and fold.
  5. Pour some water into a cooking pot, tear some aluminium foil and place it at the bottom of the bottom. This is to prevent water from entering the koki corn.
  6. Cover the pot with foil and place it on fire to cook for about one hour. 



Mbongo Tchobi

This is a spicy black stew because of its colour and is popularly consumed by the Bassa people of Cameroon. One of the main ingredients that gives it its name is the mbongo spice which is alligator pepper.

Below are the ingredient and steps on how to make Mbongo Tchobi.

Ingredients

  • Fish
  • Mbongo spice
  • African nutmeg
  • Njangsa
  • Minced ginger
  • Pepper
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Chopped onions
  • Minced garlic
  • Celery
  • Seasoning cubes
  • Salt
  • Cooking oil
  • Water

Steps to prepare Mbongo Tchobi

  1. Cut and clean the fish by removing the unwanted parts. Wash it with a pinch of salt and keep in a bowl.
  2. Put the tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, celery, African nutmeg, njangsa, mbongo spice and some water into a blender or food processor. Blend the mixture into a paste.
  3. Pour the mixture on the fish inside a bowl and mix gently.
  4. Heat some cooking oil inside a pot and pour the mixture into it while stirring it.
  5. Add seasoning cubes, salt, pepper, water and stir. Allow it to cook for a few minutes and after that, it is ready to be served.

Other Cameroonian dishes that you can try out are: 

  • Achu soup
  • Sese plantains
  • Chicken stew
  • Kondres

Written and edited by Ebby

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