Congolese Saka-Saka with Smoked Fish

Ingredients

• 800 g chopped cassava leaves or frozen saka-saka
• 200 g smoked fish
• 320 g white rice
• 3 tbsp red palm oil
• 2 pieces yellow onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• to taste fresh chili pepper
• 500 ml water
• to taste fine salt
• 1 piece lime

Method

1. Thaw the cassava leaves if necessary, then rinse them quickly and squeeze them tightly between your hands; they should be moist but no longer dripping excess water.
2. Remove the skin and visible bones from the smoked fish, then flake it into large chunks; keep the pieces irregular so they flavor the sauce without disappearing entirely.
3. Slice the onion, mince the garlic, and split the chili pepper open; heat the palm oil in a large Dutch oven until it becomes fluid and glossy, without letting it smoke.
4. Sauté the onion in the hot oil until soft, browned on the edges, and highly fragrant, then add the garlic and chili pepper and stir until the raw smell of the garlic cooks off.
5. Add the squeezed cassava leaves and coat them in the aromatic base; stir until the color darkens slightly and the leaves begin to soften.
6. Pour in the water, salt lightly, cover, and let simmer over low heat until the leaves are tender and the sauce loses its watery appearance.
7. Add the smoked fish, partially cover, and continue cooking until the sauce is thick, glossy, and coats the spoon, with the smoky aroma well diffused throughout the pot.
8. While the saka-saka finishes simmering, cook the white rice separately until tender and fluffy, then keep warm.
9. Taste the sauce, adjust the salt and chili pepper, then finish with a few drops of lime juice if the dish seems too rich or heavy.
10. Serve the saka-saka piping hot over the white rice, with plenty of sauce and visible pieces of fish.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

564 kcal

Protein

21.11 g

Carbohydrate

77.82 g

Fat

18.99 g

Fibre

8.01 g

Calcium

50.52 mg

Iron

2.01 mg

Magnesium

38.46 mg