Royal Cameroonian Ndolé with Prawns & Smoked Meat

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Royal Cameroonian Ndolé with Prawns & Smoked Meat

Name: Royal Cameroonian Ndolé with Prawns & Smoked Meat
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 8 portions
Cuisine: Camerounaise
Ingredients: 500 g fresh washed bitterleaf greens (ndolé / Vernonia amygdalina); 500 g 100% pure smooth roasted peanut butter; 500 g dried crayfish (madjanga); 150 g ground dried crayfish; 2 pièce Finely chopped mild onion; 5 gousse garlic and hot chili; 15 g fresh ginger root juice; 100 ml vegetable oil for frying; 1 cuillère à café black pepper; 1 pièce crushed hot chili; 1 cuillère à café fine salt; 1 l pure spring water and ice

Cameroon's supreme national culinary masterpiece: meticulously washed bitterleaf (ndolé) greens slow-cooked in a luscious raw peanut gravy with tender beef and smoked fish, crowned with sizzling seared jumbo prawns and caramelized onions.

Prep45m

Cook55m

DifficultyMedium

Calories660

ServingsAutomatically adjusts ingredient amounts

Ingredients (12)

0/12 ready

fresh washed bitterleaf greens (ndolé / Vernonia amygdalina)

500 g

100% pure smooth roasted peanut butter

500 g

dried crayfish (madjanga)

500 g

ground dried crayfish

150 g

Finely chopped mild onion

2 pièce

garlic and hot chili

5 gousse

fresh ginger root juice

15 g

vegetable oil for frying

100 ml

black pepper

1 cuillère à café

crushed hot chili

1 pièce

fine salt

1 cuillère à café

pure spring water and ice

1 l

Nutritional Values (per serving)

Calories660 kcal

Proteins44g

Carbs27.9g

Fats45.1g

Heritage & History

The undisputed king of Cameroonian cuisine, rooted in coastal Douala heritage and served as the star centerpiece at weddings, state banquets, and grand galas worldwide.

Preparation & Cooking Steps

8 steps

Wash fresh bitterleaf (ndolé) repeatedly in warm water with a pinch of rock salt until pleasant, mild bitterness is achieved; squeeze into tight balls.

Soak raw unroasted peanuts, peel skins, and blend with garlic and ginger into an ultra-smooth white puree.

In a large heavy pot, braise beef chunks in seasoned water until tender; add flaked smoked catfish.

Pour in the smooth peanut puree and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes while stirring to prevent catching.

Incorporate the loosened ndolé greens and ground dried crayfish; simmer on low for 15 minutes.

In a hot skillet with vegetable oil, quickly sauté seasoned jumbo prawns and sliced onions until golden and aromatic.

Pour the sizzling oil, prawns, and onions over the steaming Ndolé pot in a dramatic finish.

Serve piping hot with steamed cassava batons (miondo or bobolo) and fried ripe plantains (alloco).

Chef's Tip & Secret

The crowning secret is the final 'thermal splash': pouring sizzling hot oil with seared prawns and golden onions over the simmering Ndolé unlocks unforgettable aroma and gloss.