Cameroon | Stew

Ndolé

Cameroon's national dish — bitter leaves cooked down with ground peanuts, crayfish, and prawns into a rich, complex stew. Earthy, nutty, and deeply satisfying.

Country
Cameroon
Region
Central Africa
Time
90 min
Serves
6
Level
hard
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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 methodMy cookbook

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

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

Back to Cameroon
6 steps 40 min prep 50 min cook (check method) 90 min total hard
1
Wash the bitter leaves
Place bitter leaves in a large bowl of water, squeeze and wash vigorously to remove bitterness. Repeat at least 3 times until the water runs relatively clear. Boil the washed leaves for 15 minutes, then drain.
Kitchen noteIf using spinach as a substitute, skip the washing — just wilt briefly.
Boil leaves 15:00
2
Prepare the peanut paste
Roast raw peanuts in a dry pan until golden. Grind in a blender with a little water or broth to form a smooth paste.
Kitchen noteAlternatively, use 200g of natural smooth peanut butter.
Roast peanuts 05:00
3
Cook the aromatics
Heat palm oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add garlic and ground crayfish, cooking for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Cook aromatics 07:00
4
Build the stew
Add the peanut paste to the pot and stir continuously for 5 minutes. Add the drained bitter leaves and stock cube. Stir to combine and cook for 20 minutes on medium-low heat.
Kitchen noteStir frequently to prevent the peanut paste from sticking to the bottom.
Cook stew base 20:00
5
Add the prawns
Add the prawns to the stew and cook for 8-10 minutes until pink and cooked through. Taste and adjust with salt and white pepper.
Cook prawns 10:00
6
Serve
Serve hot with boiled plantains, rice, or miondo. The stew should be thick and glossy.
Kitchen noteNdolé tastes even better the next day as the flavours deepen overnight.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

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 Weddings, national holidays, family celebrations. Plan on a hard cook. Allow about 90 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Boiled plantains, rice, or miondo (cassava sticks)

Follow the collection

Sunday Specials is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. Sunday Specials

Regional lane

Leafy stew table. Ndole, eru, waterleaf, groundnut, smoked fish, and bitter-leaf depth.

Chef watch-outs
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
  • Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
How you know it is ready
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Pantry lane

bitter leaves, groundnut, eru leaves, waterleaf, palm oil

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

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

Ndolé recipe from Cameroon
Ndolé finished dish
Ndolé recipe from Cameroon
Ndolé additional recipe photo
Ndolé recipe from Cameroon
Ndolé additional recipe photo
Chef board

Build the table around Ndolé

Boiled plantains, rice, or miondo (cassava sticks)

Best route from here

Leafy stew table

Collections to keep cooking
Swallow and Soup Table One-Pot Family Meals Across Africa Showstoppers
Social plate

Why Ndolé gets people talking

Ndole feels rich, layered, and celebratory, especially when shrimp, fish, meat, and plantain join the plate.

#20 Showstopper
Hook

The bitterleaf-and-peanut luxury stew.

Caption starter

Cameroon brought greens with authority.

Hosting move

Balance the bitterleaf and peanut richness with ripe plantain or miondo on the side.

Photo angle

Shoot close so the greens, peanuts, shrimp, and plantain contrast clearly.

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