Njama Njama with Turnip Greens
Traditionally, Njama Njama is made using huckleberry leaves, but we subbed them out with turnip greens and couldn’t be happier with the results. It’s a favorite from the Northwest region of Cameroon, commonly served with fufu corn and khati khati (spicy fire grilled chicken in a tomato base sauce).
On Cooking the Diaspora episode 7, food blogger Elsie Kritz of Afrovitality Eats shows us how to make her Njama Njama.
Njama Njama with Turnip Greens
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Cuisine: Cameroon
Description
Turnip greens cooked like Njama Njama (huckleberry), a favorite from the Northwest region of Cameroon. Traditionally served with fufu corn and khati khati (spicy fire-grilled chicken in a tomato-based sauce).
Ingredients
4 bunches fresh turnip greens
4 Roma tomatoes diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 small onion sliced (julienne cut)
2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
3 tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse turnip greens in cold water about 2-3 times. Remove large, tough veins and slice greens.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add greens and cook for 7-10 minutes until just tender.
- Transfer into an ice bath. Once cool to touch, strain with a colander, and squeeze out as much water as you can. This yields about 3 cups of cooked greens. Set aside.
- Add onions and diced tomatoes into a large skillet or fry pan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Toss in peppers, with the stalk still attached. Cook, stirring occasionally until tomatoes are reduced into a chunky sauce. About 10 minutes.
- Add in canola oil and fry for 3-5 minutes. Remove peppers and set aside. Season to taste (or slightly over) with salt.
- Stir in greens and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until desired tenderness of greens. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve with whole peppers.
Notes
The traditional vegetable used for Njama Njama is the “Huckleberry plant”. We are substituting with Turnip greens. Another great option is collard greens or watercress.
Roma tomatoes because it has fewer seeds and reduces to a nice chunky sauce. I wouldn’t use cherry tomatoes.
You can also substitute the canola oil with palm oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: serves 4
