Vegan Cassava Leaf Stew (Pondu)

In this recipe, I will be sharing a quick and easy one-pot cassava leaf stew inspired by the Congolese Dish – Pondu (also known as Saka Saka).

Why Cassava Leaves

Cassava leaves or yucca leaves are the leaves from the yucca/cassava plant. Across the African continent, food cultures prioritize using multiple components of the same plant. Since cassava is a popular root vegetable and starch source for many African diets, the leaves are readily available, and thus consumed in a form of stews and sauces. Cassava leaves, like many greens, are high in nutrients, vitamin C and B and have comparable protein components to eggs or soybeans.

What is Cassava Leaf Stew

Cassava Leaf stew goes by many names across the West and Central parts of Africa. However, for the purpose of this recipe, the inspiration comes from Congolese Pondu. Pondu or Saka Safa is eaten across both Congo countries and Cameroon. The dish is a one-pot cassava leaf stew that is flavoured with onions, garlic, different spices, and cooked with vegetables like green pepper and leeks. A lot of the umami flavour comes from dried fish, while red palm oil adds richness and substance to the dish. The dish is then served with rice, plantains or fufu. Obviously, it is not traditionally vegan but it can easily be made vegan.

What you will need for Pondu?

Most of the ingredients for pondu can be easily found at the grocery store– eggplant, leeks, onions and garlic. However, the major star of this dish — cassava leaves — has to be sourced at an African store. These are usually sold frozen. Red palm oil can also be found in African stores. For more information on the use of red palm oil in African cuisine, please take a look at this post. Unfortunately, these two ingredients cannot be substituted as they serve as the essence of this dish.

The seasoning for this dish is customizable. I rely on certain Asian ingredients like dashi kombu and nori sheets to add more fishy flavour to the stew. I also add tofu and mushrooms for more texture (these can be omitted or substituted). Lastly, the seasoning is highly customizable. I will recommend being heavy-handed with the seasoning and also using a broth base (like this bouillon) to add some umami flavour.

How to Make Pondu

Pondu is then served with either fried plantain, rice, or even fufu

Print Recipe

Vegan Cassava Leaf Stew

Central Africa

By Afia – Serves: 6

Prep Time: 10 – Cooking Time: 1.5 hr – Total Time: 2 hr

Ingredients

• 10 cups of water
• 2 pieces of kombu dashi (not 100% required but helpful)
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 2 white onions chopped
• 1 leek finely chopped
• 1 small eggplant diced
• 1 sheet of nori blitzed into a powder and 1 tbsp used for recipe
• 2 large bunches of kale
• 1 large pack of pondu (500g) (frozen cassava leaves)
• 2 tbsp of garlic powder
• 2 large tbsp of all-purpose seafood seasoning - you can use old bay **
• 2 heaping tbsp of better than beef bouillon **
• 90g smoked tofu **
• 1 dried yuba (optional) broken into pieces **
• 1/3 cup of red-palm oil
• 1 large scotch bonnet pepper (habanero also works)
• 100g enoki mushroom **
• 1 cup of rehydrated dried mushrooms **

Instructions

1

If using the kombu dashi, boil 4 cups of water. Once it has boiled, add the dashi, turn off the heat and let it sit for a few hours.

2

Dice your onions, leeks, and green pepper. Blend half of these chopped vegetables with the garlic and set half aside.

3

Finely chop the eggplant and kale.

4

In the same pot with the kombu, remove the kombu then add in all the ingredients except for the mushrooms.

5

Place the pot at medium-high heat and let it boil for a solid 45 minutes.

6

After 45 minutes, taste for salt, adjust the seasoning and add in the mushrooms.

7

Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes till all the water has evaporated and you are left with a thick stew.

8

You will also know it is ready as the colour of the green become dull and the strong leafy smell mellows down.

9

Serve with rice, plantain, cassava or fufu .

Notes

Spices and mushrooms are 100% customizable. Just make sure to be heavy-handed with the spices and taste for salt. For the mushrooms, you can use whatever choice of mushroom or tofu. Just make sure to use extra firm tofu and add the fresh mushrooms towards the end of the cooking process