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Mbongo tchobi
Fish in black spice sauce
Mbongo tchobi: the Bassa people's fish in a jet-black sauce of charred mbongo spice
The Bassa people of the Littoral, between Douala and Édéa, are famous for mbongo tchobi, fish cooked in a startling jet-black sauce. The colour comes from mbongo, the pods of a wild plant in the ginger family, charred over a flame until black and ground with onion, garlic, ginger and njansang; the taste is smoky, peppery and deeply aromatic rather than burnt. Freshwater fish such as carp or tilapia is traditional, simmered gently in the sauce for family gatherings and in Douala restaurants, with boiled plantain, miondo or rice on the side. If mbongo is hard to find, charred black cardamom with grains of paradise gives a similar smoky warmth. Chef's tip: shake the pan instead of stirring once the fish goes in, so the pieces stay whole.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the black spice paste
- 6 dried mbongo spice podsor 6 black cardamom pods plus 1 tsp grains of paradise
- 1 tbsp njansangor 1 tbsp roasted unsalted cashews
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 oz fresh gingerchopped
- 2 tomatoes
For the stew
- 2 ¼ lb whole tilapia or carp2 fish, cleaned, scaled and cut into thick steaks
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 Scotch bonnet chillipierced
- 1 handful African or Thai basil leaves (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rinse the 2 ¼ lb whole tilapia or carp, pat dry and season with ½ tsp salt. Keep it covered in the fridge while you make the sauce.
Step 2: Toast the 6 dried mbongo spice pods pods in a dry pan over a medium heat or with tongs over a gas flame, turning, for 4–6 minutes until completely black and charred but not crumbling into white ash. Open a window. Under-charring is the common mistake: the sauce comes out brown and flat rather than black and smoky.
6 minStep 3: Toast the 1 tbsp njansang in the same pan for 2 minutes.
2 minStep 4: Grind the charred pods to a powder, then blend with the njansang, 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 oz fresh ginger, 2 tomatoes and 150 ml of the 2 ½ cups water to a smooth black paste.
4 minStep 5: Heat the 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry the paste for 8 minutes, stirring, until it darkens further and the oil separates.
8 minStep 6: Add the remaining water, the 1 Scotch bonnet chilli and the rest of the salt and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
10 minStep 7: Slide in the fish in one layer and spoon the sauce over. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 12–15 minutes, shaking the pan, until the flesh is opaque right to the bone and flakes easily.
14 minStep 8: Scatter over the 1 handful African or Thai basil leaves, rest for 2 minutes and serve with boiled plantain, miondo or rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mbongo tchobi take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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