Cameroon — Nkeleng-nkeleng With Ripe Plantains

by Wirba Brice Divine Ransinyuy      

Nkeleng-nkeleng is a leaf that is green in color having the taste of boiled groundnut. It is a local cuisine that can be prepared at anytime of the day. It does not have any specific preparation time or a special day for a special feast. It is being cooked at anytime and it is easily prepared. It does not take so much time and energy in the preparation. Nkeleng-nkeleng is generally perceived as a national language, that is, it is being prepared by some tribes, just in the afternoon, whereas others do so in the evening and some do not bother whether it is in the afternoon or evening as for them, being a vegetable, it is easily digested, whether prepared in the afternoon time or in the evening time. Nkeleng-nkeleng is highly prepared in the Centre region by the francophones of the nation Cameroon.

Cooking method

Nkeleng-nkeleng is being prepared by boiling and stewing. You boil, then you stew.

Cooking ingredients

1. Nkeleng-nkeleng leaves
2. Meat (preferably cow meat)
3. Three cups of groundnut
4. One quarter bunch of ripe plantains
5. A glove of crayfish

Seasoning ingredients

1. Groundnut oil
2. Pepper
3. A glove of garlics
4. A teaspoon of salt
5. Poiro ( also called white pepper)
6. One maggi crevette
7. Two Onions

Cooking process

1. Begin with the meat. Wash the meat and cut into small parts, then wash again.
2. After washing the meat, boil it for a period of thirty minutes. When boiling, make sure to put in salt into the meat, to give some thirty.
3. After thirty minutes on fire, remove your meat from fire
4. Go to the next thing which is the boiling and grinding of the groundnut. Though, before this, remove the dirt from the groundnut and also its peelings.
5. After doing this, soak inside water for five minutes. Make sure sure to remove all the peelings.
6. After doing this, boil the groundnut for a period of ten minutes.
7. After boiling, wait for the boiled groundnut to longer be hot, then you can grind.
8. After doing this, proceed to the Nkeleng-nkeleng leaves which you have to cut into small pieces, then you wash
9. After washing the Nkeleng-nkeleng leaves, boil it for a period of thirty minutes.
10. Having gathered all the ingredients together, go straight to the stewing of the Nkeleng-nkeleng leaves
11. Slice the onions into small parts,
12. Slice the poiro and peel off the garics, then you grind them altogethers. Do not grind all the sliced onions, some shall be used in the groundnut oil
13. Put groundnut oil on fire, when it begins to hot, throw in the remaining onions into the hot groundnut oil and stir
14. Wait till the onions fry well
15. When it is the case, throw in the grinded species into the pot and stir.
16. Wait till it becomes ready. When it is ready, throw in the pot the grinded groundnut and stir very well and after a minute, pour in a cup of water and wait fror five minutes.
17. After five minutes of waiting, throw into the pot the Nkeleng-nkeleng leaves and pour in another cup of water into the pot and close the pot for a period of ten minutes.
18. After ten minutes, your delicious Nkeleng-nkeleng is ready and ready to be served.

See picture below the title.

After this, boil the ripe plantains

1. Remove the peelings of the plantains
2. Cut each plantain into two or three halves, depending on the size of the plantain
3. Putting the plantain in a pot of water, boil it for a period of 15 minutes.
4. When it is ready, serve on a plate like in the picture below.

Enjoy your Meal!