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Nnam ngon with mushrooms
Nnam ngon: savoury steamed cakes of ground pumpkin seeds, made here with browned mushrooms
Steamed parcels of nnam ngon turn up at Beti weddings, funerals and big Sunday tables in the Centre, unwrapped to reveal a firm, pale cake of ground pumpkin seeds that slices like a terrine. The seeds are ground with onion, garlic, ginger and hot pepper, then bound with water and steamed slowly in leaves until rich, savoury and almost meaty. Smoked fish is the classic addition; here browned mushrooms take its place, so the parcels are vegan and still very filling. Serve with bobolo, boiled plantain or sweet ripe plantain. Chef's tip: brown the mushrooms in a dry pan first; added raw, they release water inside the parcel and leave the mixture loose.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz hulled egusi seedsor hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 10 ½ oz chestnut mushroomssliced
- 1 onionroughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerchopped
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilliseeded for less heat
- 1 tbsp njansang (optional)or 1 tbsp roasted unsalted cashews
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 banana leavesor foil lined with baking paper
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Grind the 14 oz hulled egusi seeds in short bursts in a blender or spice grinder to a fine, slightly damp powder. Stop before it turns into a paste.
5 minStep 2: Cook the 10 ½ oz chestnut mushrooms in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until they have released their liquid, it has evaporated and they are lightly browned. Leave to cool.
8 minStep 3: Blend the 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 1 Scotch bonnet chilli and 1 tbsp njansang with 100 ml of the 1 ¼ cups water until smooth.
Step 4: In a bowl, mix the seed powder, the onion paste, the rest of the water and the 1 tsp salt to a soft paste like thick hummus, then fold in the mushrooms.
Step 5: Soften the 6 banana leaves over a flame or in hot water. Lay two pieces crossways, spoon about 150 g of the mixture into the centre, fold into a neat parcel and tie with kitchen string. Repeat to make 6 parcels.
10 minStep 6: Steam the parcels in a covered steamer over boiling water for 75–90 minutes, topping up the water, until they feel firm when pressed and a little oil seeps through the leaves. Opening them too early is the usual mistake: under-steamed nnam ngon is crumbly and tastes raw.
85 minStep 7: Rest for 10 minutes before unwrapping, then slice and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nnam ngon with mushrooms take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 chestnut mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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