Cameroon – How to cook Ekusi sauce with bitter leaves

by Wirba Brice Divine Ransinyuy

The cooking of Ekusi sauce with bitter leaves is a practice of cooking food that is cooked for the cleansing of the stomach and the human body in general. This is why there is the use of bitter leaves, leaves that are generally known to be very bitter in the mouth. It is bitter but it has a lot of virtues and usefulness. As the saying goes forward; Bitter things are good for the body, whereas sweat things come along with so much negative effects. Reason why I advise anyone to eat and enjoy this delicious meal for the wellbeing and welfare of your body. The Ekusi sauce with bitter leaves is rich in minerals that are good for bones, immune system and general body as well. Ekusi sauce with bitter leaves is a meal coming from the highlands of Ndu in the North West region of Cameroon.

Cooking method

The cooking method of Ekusi sauce with bitter leaves is that of stewing.

Cooking ingredients

1.  Two cups of Ekusi
2. Two packets of bitter leaves
3. Three fresh tomatoes
4. Half kilo of canda
5. Half kilo of fresh fish
6. A cup of red oil
7. Two maggis cube and one maggi crevette

Cooking process

1. Grind the two cups of Ekusi
2. Wash the bitter leaves for about four or five times
3. After washing the bitter leaves very well, cut it into small pieces, that scrub it well.
4. Scrub it three or four times.
5. After this, place it in a clean bowl.
6. Wash then the two tomatoes and slice into small
7. Wash the canda and cut into very small parts
8. Wash the fresh fish by cleaning it, removing the parts that you will not eat and cut the fish into very small, half parts, like three or four parts.
9. Put the pot on fire
10. After this, throw into the pot, the sliced tomatoes
11. Fry the fish and throw the fish into the pot
12. Throw into the pot one maggi and a pinch of salt
13. After this, throw into the pot the grinded ekusi
14. Stir the pot and wait for like one minute.
15. After one minute, pour the bitter leaves into the pot and a cup of water.
16. After five minutes, pour again water, but half a cup of water into the pot and close the pot for about twenty minutes.
17.  After twenty minutes, remove the food from fire.
18. Your Ekusi sauce with bitter leaves is ready.

NB: Your Ekusi sauce with bitter leaves is eaten empty as well as it can be eaten with fufu, corn fufu and also with plantains.