Democratic Republic of Congo | Stew

Fumbwa

Name: Fumbwa
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa
Ingredients: 800 g fumbwa, spinach, or eru, chopped; 250 g smoked or salted fish, soaked if salty; 2 tbsp red palm oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 medium tomatoes, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; ¾ cup peanut butter; 3 cups water or stock; salt and pepper, to taste

Congolese wild spinach stew cooked with peanut, tomato, onion, palm oil, and smoked or salted fish.

Country

Democratic Republic of Congo

Region

Central Africa

Time

80 min

Serves

Level

medium

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01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Stew

Greens

800 g fumbwa, spinach, or eru, chopped

Fish

250 g smoked or salted fish, soaked if salty

Base

2 tbsp red palm oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced

Peanut

¾ cup peanut butter

Liquid

3 cups water or stock

Finishing

salt and pepper, to taste

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Democratic Republic of Congo

4 steps 20 min prep 60 min cook (check method) 80 min total medium

Cook greens

Simmer greens with water until they soften and lose their raw edge.

greens 25:00

Make base

Cook onion, garlic, tomatoes, and palm oil into a thick sauce.

base 12:00

Add fish and peanut

Add fish and peanut butter thinned with broth, then stir into the greens.

peanut 10:00

Simmer rich

Cook until thick, glossy, and fully seasoned.

finish 15:00

Some cooks use wild fumbwa leaves, others substitute spinach, cassava leaves, or eru. Smoked fish, salted fish, or meat may be added.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for rice, kwanga, fufu, and everyday family lunch.. Plan on a medium cook. Allow about 80 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Kwanga, rice, fufu, or boiled plantain.

Regional lane

Democratic Republic of Congo national table. A structured Democratic Republic of Congo dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.

How you know it is ready

The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
Greens should be cooked through but still look alive and glossy.

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Fumbwa recipe from Democratic Republic of Congo — Fumbwa finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Fumbwa

Kwanga, rice, fufu, or boiled plantain.

Best route from here

Democratic Republic of Congo national table

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