I grew up eating this tasty, creamy Cameroonian Njangsa Sauce also known as Njangsa Stew. Serve it with rice, boiled plantains, or boiled African white yams, which is the way I served it here. This stew is easy to make and you can use any protein of choice, including chicken, pork, and beef.
Prep the fish: Trim the fins of the fish with kitchen scissors and cut the fish into steaks. Remove the entrails and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. You could have your fish monger clean and gut the fish for you.
Season the fish with the salt, white pepper, chicken bouillon powder or one small Maggi seasoning cube. Let it rest while you work on the sauce.
Add oil to a medium pot set on medium-high heat, then let the oil heat up until shimmering. Add the diced onions, and sauté for about a minute until fragrant. Blend the tomatoes into a paste and add to the pot. Let them cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and let them continue to cook until they start sticking to the bottom of the pot. Another 5 minutes.
Blend together the leeks or green onion, parsley, basil, garlic, ginger, and njangsa seeds with a cup of water. Pour the blended spices into the pot with tomatoes. Rinse the blender with about 3 cups of water and add to the pot. Stir well to combine. Add the habanero pepper with the remaining salt and bouillon powder. Stir to combine.
Add the seasoned fish steaks to the pot. Cover and let it cook for about ten to fifteen minutes until the fish is completely cooked through. Spoon some of the sauce over the fish as they cook. Avoid stirring as this might break the fish.
Taste and adjust seasoning or thickness if needed. If you want a lighter sauce, thin it out with water then taste to see if it needs a pinch of salt.
Garnish with fresh sliced basil or minced parsley. Serve with boiled rice, plantains or African white yams.
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Notes
Fish: Other kinds of fish you could use include mackerel, snapper, sea bass, sea bream, and tilapia.Tomatoes: I use roma tomatoes nine times out of ten because they have more flesh and less acidity. But you could use other kinds of tomatoes if that's all you've got.Fresh spices: Fresh spices are best for this recipe as they really complement the flavor of the fish. Take time to peel fresh garlic and ginger for the best flavor.