As you probably already know, cassava a highly prized food in Cameroonian and West African cuisine. Cassava roots or tubers are a delicious accompaniment to many dishes. They can be steamed, fried, or even grilled. Fermented, they can be processed into Bobolo , Miondo , Mitoumba , Gari , Attiéké , Chikwang or cassava flour . To name just a few.
With the cassava plant, not only the roots but also the leaves are edible.
Cassava is fantastic because not only the roots but also the leaves of the cassava plant are edible. Kpwem – sometimes also Kpwemp or Kwem as they are known in Cameroon – or Pondu – in Congo – are the young, tender leaves of the cassava plant. As I said, a fantastic plant!
A little anecdote about Kpwem
Today, another little story from my childhood in Loum, Cameroon. I probably liked kapwem until I was about nine years old (I can't really remember exactly). Then my parents decided to build a house, as we had been renting until then. As is so often the case with construction projects, the house kept costing more than planned. So, my parents suddenly had to be careful with money. What does that have to do with kapwem? We bought a piece of land to cultivate and thus provide for ourselves with some of our own food. The land was planted full of cassava. There was so much cassava from the field that for a while, kapwem was on the menu at least once a week. With what? Exactly, cassava. At some point, I couldn't even look at kapwem anymore. Besides, I hated the work involved in preparing it! Here's how it works: the leaves are picked fresh from the plant – only the young, tender ones – thoroughly washed, then pounded in a mortar until they are soft. Only then can they be cooked… It took me several years to overcome this “trauma”.
Everything made from cassava
I once discovered ready-to-cook kapwem in an African grocery store and was still skeptical. A few weeks ago, I decided to give it a try. The result was fantastic! May I present to you my first kapwem in decades… all those lost years, because I had completely forgotten how delicious it tastes.
The best side dish for Kpwem
Cassava goes best with kapwem, in any form. Back home, we had cassava tubers/roots with it. Sometimes we had fufu (cassava couscous). Very often we also had couscous de mais (corn fufu). For me, gari, bobolo, and miondo are also wonderful accompaniments. Some people like to eat it with rice, potatoes, or pasta… whatever your heart desires. I'm happy to share this first time here!
Kpwem | Cassava leaves with peanut butter and smoked turkey meat
Ingredients
- 500g Ready -to-cook frozen Kpwem/Pondu
- 500 g smoked turkey meat (e.g. from the leg)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (unsweetened is best)
- 1 medium onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 medium tomato
- 50 ml cooking oil
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet / chili
- 2 tsp Magic Sauce
- Salt
- approx. 150 ml water
Instructions
- First, briefly wash the thawed, ready-to-cook cabbage, drain it through a sieve, squeeze out the water, and set it aside
- Wash the smoked turkey meat, cut it into pieces and reserve it as well
- Wash or peel the tomatoes, onions, and garlic thoroughly and chop finely
- Heat cooking oil in a pot, first add the finely chopped onions and garlic, season with salt and sauté for about 1-2 minutes
- Then add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the tomatoes start to stick to the bottom of the pot
- Now add the shredded turkey meat and the magic sauce, mix well and roast for about 2 minutes
- Then add the Kpwem, mix well and simmer for another 2 minutes (over reduced heat)
- Then add the water and peanut butter, mix well, cover, and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally
- After about 10 minutes, add the Scotch Bonnet, stir again, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes
- Season to taste and it's ready!
