West African · lunch, dinner
Ndole (Cameroonian Bitterleaf, Peanut and Beef Stew)
Ndole
Video by MARVISSIMA Pâtisserie & Cuisine on YouTube, in French · Open on YouTube
- Gluten-free with a swap: Check that the stock cube is gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Contains: Gluten, Crustacea, Peanut. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
40 g protein, 6 g fibre and 11.5 g net carbs a serve: beef and peanuts slow-cooked with bitter greens. The beef makes it rich in zinc and vitamin B12.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 12
Method
The cook speaks French; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.
- Blend the leek, garlic and 3½ of the onions to a smooth purée; slice the remaining 1½ onions and set aside. Grind the soaked or boiled peanuts to a smooth, thick cream. 1:11
- Put the beef in a pot with 2–3 tbsp of the onion purée, salt, the stock cube and pepper. Add about 400 ml water and simmer for about 40 minutes until the meat is tender, then lift the meat out. 1:35
- Stir the peanut cream into the hot broth, rinsing the blender with about 200 ml water, add the chilli and let it bubble for about 30 minutes. 2:20
- Add the rest of the onion purée and a third of the dried shrimp. Cook for another 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the peanuts are cooked and a little oil rises to the surface. 2:52
- Adjust the salt, add the second stock cube and about 1 tsp more pepper, return the beef and stir in the bitterleaf in two batches until it is fully mixed into the peanut sauce. Leave to simmer gently. 3:22
- Meanwhile fry the sliced onion in the oil over medium heat until translucent, without browning, then add the remaining shrimp for about 2 minutes. 4:20
- Stir the onion and shrimp into the pot, simmer a few minutes more on medium-low heat and serve. 4:56
Tip. Serves 8 (our estimate). Traditionally eaten with miondo or bobolo (cassava sticks), boiled plantain or yam; a vegetable side keeps it lower in carbs. Washed bitterleaf is sold frozen or dried in African grocers.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 8
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 10%
- Protein 32%
- Fat 58%
Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin K High158%
190 µg a serve, mostly from ndolé (95%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin B12 High90%
2.2 µg a serve, mostly from stewing beef (95%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Zinc High75%
8.2 mg a serve, mostly from stewing beef (76%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Selenium High60%
33 µg a serve, mostly from stewing beef (79%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Folate High50%
200 µg a serve, mostly from raw white peanuts (52%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Vitamin B6 High46%
0.8 mg a serve, mostly from stewing beef (49%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin E High37%
5.5 mg a serve, mostly from raw white peanuts (66%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Omega-3 High35%
0.6 g a serve, mostly from vegetable oil (82%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Iron High33%
5.9 mg a serve, mostly from stewing beef (38%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Magnesium High32%
135 mg a serve, mostly from raw white peanuts (54%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin C High21%
19 mg a serve, mostly from ndolé (55%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin A High20%
184 µg a serve, mostly from ndolé (96%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Potassium Source19%
920 mg a serve, mostly from raw white peanuts (34%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Calcium Source12%
159 mg a serve, mostly from raw white peanuts (25%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Show the other 1
Vitamin D0%
0.1 µg a serve, mostly from stewing beef (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
You might also like
Kedjenou (Ivorian Slow-Steamed Chicken Stew)West African · 424 kcal · 44 g protein
Liboke (Congolese Fish Steamed in Banana Leaves)West African · 254 kcal · 38 g protein
Oven-Baked Nigerian Jollof RiceWest African · 505 kcal · 10 g protein
Poulet Yassa (Senegalese Lemon-Onion Chicken)West African · 406 kcal · 26 g protein
Red Red (Ghanaian Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Plantain)West African · 555 kcal · 12 g protein
Chicken Maafe (West African Peanut Stew)West African · 539 kcal · 36 g protein
Recipe and video by MARVISSIMA Pâtisserie & Cuisine; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.