Cameroon – White Yam and Egussi Stew

by Nghonazie Annabel

White yam and egussi stew is a delicious meal which is at the same time very nutritious. White yam is grown in Cameroon by the south west people especially those in villages like banga bakundu, barombi, maromba, ekombe bonji etc. The white yam that comes from these areas are termed the best because of its nature when its prepared and how long it can be kept in the house after harvest. This yam is dry and somehow sugary and this makes it the best compared to others cultivated in different areas of the country as it can easily get bad if kept for long in the house and also which may not be as sugary as the south west specie of yam. Egussi egussi is cultivated on a large scale still in the south west region of Cameroon though it is not as good as compared to the country egussi which is cultivated on a large scale in the North and North West of Cameroon. Thus white yam and egussi sauce is a typical delicacy to the southwest people because they have the raw materials available often. It’s also a very easy going meal as it is cheap and easy to prepare. Most people would say egussi has almost all the nutrients and its needless putting meat in the stew. In most of these villages that cultivate yam and egussi, they sell them either raw or as a meal in restaurants and they make a living out of this. It should be noted that yam and egussi stew is loved nationwide and prepared in every part of the country as well.

Cooking Method

Yam is prepared by boiling while egussi stew is prepared by stewing.

Cooking Ingredients

• a tuber of yam
• 2 cups of egussi
• 5 fresh tomatoes
• 1 large onion
• 4 smoked fish
• ¼ liter of groundnut oil
• White pepper
• Green pepper
• Njansang
• Grain de riz
• Green spices
• Maggi and salt to taste

Cooking procedure

• Clean the yam using a sharp knife, cut into desired pieces and wash. Put in a pot and add water to cover up the yam. Add some salt and mix, cover the pot and put on the fire
• Grind the egussi and put in a small quantity of water and mix to form a light paste
• Wash tomatoes and onions and cut
• Wash the green spices and green pepper and slice
• Blend the njansang, white pepper, grain de riz, , green spices and green pepper
• Put groundnut oil in the pot and allow to get hot
• Add the sliced tomatoes and onions and fry until its done
• Add the egussi and stir well
• Add the blended spices and fry
• Allow to fry for like 2 minutes and add a cup of water
• Wash the smoked fish and add to the pot
• Add the maggi and salt and stir well. cover the pot half way so that the water doesn’t settle below when its ready
• Allow to cook for 15 minutes and remove
• Remove the yams as well and put in a flask
• Yam and egussi stew is ready
• remove and serve in one plate

Enjoy your meal