
Image Credit: Serious Eats
Ingredients
- 4 bunches of amaranth leaves
- 1 g limestone
- 2 large onions
- 3 large smoked fish (cod or herring preferred)
- Dried shrimps (optional)
- 1/4 litre refined vegetable oil
- 4 – 5 large tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large leek (white part)
- Seasoning (stock cubes, salt, pepper)
Preparation
- Sort, wash, and cut the amaranth leaves into small pieces.
- Dilute the 1 g of limestone in a cup of hot water and filter to avoid grit in the vegetables.
- In a pot, heat 1.5 – 2 liters of water, pour in the limestone liquid and add the amaranth leaves. Cook until the leaves soften, stirring from time to time.
- When the leaves are sufficiently soft, remove from the fire, drain in a strainer, and rinse with cool water. Squeeze out the water and shape the leaves into balls.
- Chop onions and tomato.
- Crush together garlic and leek.
- Soak smoked fish and dried shrimps in water to soften.
Cooking
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan.
- Add onions and cook until they begin to brown.
- Add tomatoes, then season with salt and seasonings.
- When the tomato has cooked down, add crushed garlic and leek, then gradually add amaranth while mixing well.
- Simmer a few minutes, taste and adjust seasoning.
Optional: Add carrots, French beans, or sweet pepper. The amaranth also can be fried with meat or dried shrimps. Serve with plantains, cocoyam, yams or cassava
Source: Chagomoka T, Kamga R, Tenkouano A, Mecozzi M. 2014. Traditional Vegetables: Recipes from Cameroon. AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center. Shanhua, Taiwan. Publication 14-779. 55 p.