Fumbwa

🥜 Dried Gnetum leaves simmered with peanut paste, smoked fish and red palm oil. Serves four, with starch prepared separately.

Ingredients

• 100 g finely shredded dried edible fumbwa leaves
• 150 g pure unsweetened roasted peanut paste
• 150 g deboned smoked fish flesh, to be cooked
• 200 g diced tomatoes
• 100 g finely sliced onion
• 6 g chopped garlic
• 30 ml food-grade red palm oil
• 800 ml cooking water, plus up to 200 ml hot water as needed
• Additional drinking water for washing and soaking; discard after draining
• Up to 2 g salt initially, adjusted to the fish
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Sort, wash and soak the leaves in drinking water for one hour. Drain and discard the soaking water.

Prepare vegetables. Carefully debone the fish, weigh 150 g usable flesh and keep chilled.

Simmer leaves, tomatoes, onion and garlic in 600 ml of the measured water for 30 minutes, partly covered.

Gradually loosen peanut paste with the remaining 200 ml water until smooth.

Stir peanut mixture, palm oil and fish into the leaves.

Simmer gently another 30–40 minutes, stirring the bottom. Add reserved hot water if needed; leaves must be tender and fish fully cooked.

Check tenderness, cook longer if tough, then add pepper and adjust salt. Keep the sauce loose and coating.

Serve four portions hot. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate up to 48 hours and reheat thoroughly.