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1
Boil the Leaves Uncovered
30 Mins • Rolling Boil
Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F)
Put the thawed, rinsed cassava leaves in a large pot with 1 litre of boiling water. Boil UNCOVERED for 30 minutes, stirring now and then. Do not put the lid on: raw cassava leaves contain cyanogenic compounds, and the long uncovered boil is what drives them off. Drain the leaves in a colander and press out the water.
Never taste raw cassava leaves and never shorten this boil — it is a safety step, not a suggestion.
Done when: Leaves are dark green, soft, and smell earthy rather than sharp; the water runs dark.
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2
Build the Base
8 Mins • Medium Heat
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Warm the red palm oil in the same pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes until soft and sweet-smelling, then stir in the garlic and spring onions for 1 minute. Add the tomato and eggplant and cook 4 minutes more, until the tomato breaks down and the eggplant starts to soften.
Let the onion truly soften before the garlic goes in — burnt garlic turns the whole pot bitter.
Done when: The base is glossy orange, the onion is translucent, and the tomato has melted into the oil.
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3
Simmer the Leaves
45 Mins • Low Simmer
Low simmer, about 90°C (194°F)
Return the drained leaves to the pot with the warm stock, the crumbled bouillon cube and half the salt. Drop in the whole scotch bonnet. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and adding a splash of hot water if the pot looks dry. The leaves should slowly relax into the sauce.
Keep the heat low enough that the pot murmurs rather than bubbles hard — a fierce boil toughens the leaves.
Done when: The leaves are silky and very tender, and a spoon dragged through leaves a slow trail.
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4
Stir in the Peanut Butter
15 Mins • Low Simmer
Low simmer, about 90°C (194°F)
Stir the loosened peanut butter into the pot a spoonful at a time, mixing well after each spoonful so it melts into the stew instead of clumping. Simmer 15 minutes more, uncovered, stirring often, until the stew is thick, glossy and dark green with a sheen of orange oil at the edges. Fish out the whole chilli, taste, and adjust the salt.
If the peanut butter clumps, take the pot off the heat and whisk in a spoonful of hot water until smooth.
Done when: The stew coats a spoon thickly and holds its shape for a second before slowly spreading.
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5
Rest and Serve
10 Mins • Resting
Off the heat, cooling from 90°C (194°F)
Take the pot off the heat, put the lid on, and rest for 10 minutes. The flavours settle and the stew thickens a little more. Serve hot in bowls with fufu or boiled plantains for scooping.
Pondu tastes better the next day — if you can wait, make it ahead and reheat gently.
Done when: The stew is thick, dark green and glossy, and smells of peanuts and palm oil.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the pondu hot with fufu or boiled plantains, and let everyone scoop with their hands or a spoon. The photo shows a traditional serving with a piece of fried fish on the side; this version keeps the pot plant-based, and the fish is simply the classic accompaniment for a non-vegan table.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
55m
France
Vietnam