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Mbongo Tchobi, also known as Mbongo, is an earthy, spicy sauce based on black tomatoes with a smooth, thick, and velvety texture.
The appearance of this soup can make people more reluctant than willing, but it is a highly flavored and tasty soup.
Origin of Mbongo
This recipe origins ofin Cameroon. This spicy stew is a popular dish that is frequently cooked in the homes and restaurants in Cameroon, specifically in the littoral province among the Bassa Tribe.
Its deliciousness has made it gain popularity in other parts of the country.
The key ingredient is the intensely aromatic mbongo spice, from which the stew derives its name. It is burnt being thenand ground before being cooked into a sauce, hence the consistcolorcolour.
The already ground black spice is widely sold in Cameroon and in other parts of the world, it can be gotten from select African shops.
Mbongo Recipe
This stew is very easy to cook. You can compose your spices yourself if you know how to do it or you can buy the already mixed spices.
You just need to prepare all the ingredients and blend them using a good blender. After blending, you just need to cook it with oil at low heat while stirring regularly.
The most basic ingredients consist of:
- Hiomi, back of mbongo tree (the star ingredient in the soup)
- Njansa, a nutty spice (used in some West African countries)
- Alligator pepper is also known as grains of paradise
- African nutmeg or, ehuru, (a spice widely grown in West Africa and some Caribbean countries).
Its unmistakable taste and color are achieved by burning “Hiomi” over a hot, open flame. Check the recipe card below to see the full recipe.
What to Serve Mbongo With
It is typically eaten with a starchy side like;
- Boiled plantains
- Yams or cocoyam.
Serve and Enjoy!
Mbongo Tchobi (African Spicy Black Stew)
Ingredients
- 1 kg white fish cut into steaks (e.g. pangasius fillet)
- 15 g Njanssang or Akpi approx. 10 pieces
- 1 large onion
- 250 g Tomato approx. 4 tomatoes
- ¼ cup parsley
- ½ cup basil
- 2 tbsp cloves garlic
- 2 green onions
- 1 cup Vegetable oil
- 5060 g Mbongo spice approx. 4-6 tablespoons
- 1 tbsp bouillon powder or 2 Maggi cubes
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- If using catfish ,pour hot water over the fish in the sink, let it sit for a minute, then rinse and clean the fish (this removes all the sliminess of the fish). Skip this if you using any other white fish. Set aside
- Lightly fry njanssang or akpi for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Chop the tomatoes, onions, green onions and place in a food processor or blender- add njansa, garlic, basil, parsley with a little bit of water if using a blender to facilitate blending. Blend until puree.
- Heat up a saucepan with oil, then add the tomatoes mixture, with very little water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add mbongo spice, fish, Maggi and salt to the mixture; simmer for another 10 minutes or more until fish is cooked through. Add water as necessary to prevent burns.
- Adjust for seasonings with salt or Maggi.
- Serve hot with boiled plantains or bobolo.
