African cuisine in general, and West African cuisine in particular, is very rich in leafy greens, which, if prepared correctly, not only provide valuable nutrients but are also incredibly delicious. The list is probably longer than I can possibly present, but I simply want to illustrate how important and frequently leafy greens appear in West African cuisine.
Selection of leafy greens from West African cuisine
Let's start with Ndolè , the queen of leafy greens in Cameroon. Next comes Eru , which is very popular in the Northwest and Southwest provinces of Cameroon. Then there Folong, also known as BitekuTeku in other African countries, a type of spinach that is very easy to digest. Then there are the leaves of the versatile cassava plant: Kpwem, which is loved by everyone, not least because of its valuable contribution to West African cuisine. Next is Njapche , also known as Njama Njama , a type of wild spinach that is very popular with the Bamun people (my mother's family's ancestry). The list is already long and by no means complete.
Are pumpkin leaves edible?
Today, I'm adding another leafy green to my list, one that, along with Pèhn Njapche part of the Bamun : Pèhn Chuem . The term Pèhn Chuem comes from the Bamun language and means cornmeal (Pèhn) stew with pumpkin leaf sauce (Chuem).
I'm already hearing some voices wondering whether pumpkin leaves are edible at all. The answer is a resounding "Absolutely!" However, it's important to distinguish between different types of pumpkins. If they are edible varieties, then their leaves are also edible. Caution is advised with ornamental pumpkin varieties, though, as their leaves are unfortunately not edible and could even be poisonous. These leaves also generally taste quite bitter and are therefore practically inedible.
This vegetable is very popular among the Bamun people because it offers several advantages. First, it grows very quickly; second, it's available almost year-round; and third, it's very inexpensive to prepare. It only requires a few other ingredients to create a delicious dish. Finally, it's worth mentioning that the plant contains many valuable and healthy nutrients. As you can see, it's simply fantastic.
For a long time, I didn't give any thought to whether I could find the plant here, until last summer when an acquaintance called and asked if she could send me a couple of kilos of chuem, as she had planted some in her garden and now had more than she needed. I was so surprised at how she had managed to grow chuem here. In retrospect, however, it became clear to me that it was quite logical, since chuem is nothing more than the leaves of edible pumpkins and certain melon plants. In Cameroon, they are also "feuilles de melons" —translated from French as melon leaves. So, I could easily have been preparing chuem from fresh leaves all these years, but I simply didn't know. But as they say, "Better late than never." I'm delighted to finally be able to prepare the dish at home and can only recommend that everyone do the same.
Chuem is naturally vegan and is traditionally served with fufu made from cornmeal and a tomato sauce, which often also contains meat or fish.
Preparation as a video
And as a download…
Pehn Chuem | Fufu with pumpkin leaf sauce
Ingredients
- approx. 3 kg fresh pumpkin leaves
- 250g raw peanuts without skin
- 3 onions
- 1 tsp Rondelle/Country Onion
- 1 tbsp palm oil
- 1-2 Habanero whole
- approx. 2 g rock salt or possibly baking soda
- Salt
Instructions
- Remove the pumpkin leaves from the stems and remove as much of the fiber from the leaves as possible. Make sure to select only tender leaves.
- Wash the selected leaves, place them in a pot, and cover with water. Add salt and rock salt, bring to a boil, and cook for about 3 minutes
- Afterward, rinse the cooked/softened leaves with cold water and squeeze out as much water as possible, then set them aside. (The leaves will have shrunk to approximately 300g in weight; this is normal.)
- Wash the peanuts, peel and roughly chop the onions, and blend everything in a blender with a little water to form a smooth paste
- Place the peanut paste in a pot, add salt, add a little water if necessary, and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Then add palm oil, Rondelles peppers and Habanero peppers, stir well and simmer covered for about 5 minutes
- Meanwhile, place the leaves in a food processor and chop them well to make them finer
- Now briefly remove the habanero pepper so the sauce doesn't become too spicy, and add the chopped pumpkin leaves to the peanuts. Mix everything well and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes.
- Add the habanero peppers again just before the end. Serve with hot fufu and enjoy!
