Have you ever heard of cassava leaves recipe, also known as pondu? Cassava leaves are the leaves of yucca plants (also known as cassava). They are large green leaves that are popular in central Africa. Pondu was one of the pillars in my childhood diet. We ate it with fufu, mainly, but also with rice. This is a classic recipe and is made in every Congolese household. It is a vegetable that is fairly affordable and full of nutrients. This is a dish that you will always find at my house since my family can eat from Monday to Sunday. It is the only vegetable that my children will eat without fussing since it is full of flavor and easy to cook. It is basically dumping everything in a big pot and letting it boil for a while. But before we get into the recipe, let’s talk more about cassava leaves.
What are cassava leaves?
Cassava leaves are the leaves of the yucca plants that grow in Africa. They are a staple food and are often used as a plate in central african dishes. You can buy them at markets, some supermarkets and even at some restaurants. Cassava leaves are more abundant in central Africa. Moreover, they are easily grown and we used to have them in the garden growing up. Being in Canada, I buy the frozen ones at my local international store.
Cassava leaves are very high in iron and calcium. They also contain a lot of vitamins C and A, which makes them great for building up the immune system. As most other plants or vegetables, they contain a lot of water and fiber and help with colon health. The result is that you will feel full for longer periods of time and you will stay away from overeating if you feel like you have enough nutrition in your diet. Cassava leaves are very affordable, and I would highly recommend them if you struggle with your nutrition or want to get more vitamins in your diet.
If you eat them like we do, it goes very well with beans, rice, groundnuts, plantains, or fufu. Furthermore, I prefer to add a little bit of water at the time while cooking because it accentuates spices’ flavors even more. It is a long cooking process, so I would recommend cooking it hours or even days before you intend to eat it.
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How do you store cassava leaves?
You can keep some in the fridge for three to four days. You can freeze the rest in plastic containers for months.
How do you make cassava leaves recipe?
Rehydrate the smoked fish in boiled water for 20 min. Clean the fish by removing everything except the flesh. Set aside.
Blend the onions, garlic, green onions, leek, and green peppers in a food processor.
Put the cassava leaves with your onion mixture in a large pot with enough water to cover the cassava leaves on high heat.
Add the salt and palm oil. Let it boil for 30 min.
Pondu, also known as 'saka saka', or 'feuille de manioc' in French, is made from manioc, derived from the leaves of the cassava plant and originally from Central and South America, primarily in the southwest of the amazon basin.
Cassava is a good source of vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. The leaves, which are also edible if a person cooks them or dries them in the sun, can contain up to 25% protein. However, the cassava root does not deliver the same nutritional value as other tuber vegetables.
Boil cassava until it is fork tender or anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. "Do not reuse the boiled water," cautions Lemond, who adds that boiling cassava helps retain the nutritious properties of the root while over-processing the vegetable (like when making tapioca) can deplete some of its nutrients.
Drying is the most ubiquitous processing operation in many tropical countries. Sun drying eliminates more cyanide than oven drying because of the prolonged contact time between linamarase and the glucosides in sun drying. Soaking followed by boiling is better than soaking or boiling alone in removing cyanide.
Pondu, which comes from the Lingala language and is pronounced "pondou," is a recipe based on mashed and boiled cassava leaves that is extremely popular in Congo Kinshasa.
Cassava is safe to eat after the roots have been soaked in water for about a week. The water degrades the cyanide found in the plant. Here, women soak cassava in the river. In the DRC, cassava is served as a doughy ball called fufu that accompanies stews and greens like cassava leaves and spinach.
However, the presence of antinutrients and cyanogenic glucosides are the major drawbacks in cassava leaves which limit its human consumption. These antinutrients and toxic compounds of cassava leaves cause various diseases depending on the consumption level.
Although cassava leaves are a source of valuable nutrients, they also have toxicity due to cyanogenic glucosides (which can cause cyanide poisoning, with symptoms of headache, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes leading to death) and antinutritional factors (high fibre content, tannins, polyphenols and ...
However, it's a good source of potassium, folate, vitamin C, and several other nutrients. Though this doesn't make cassava unhealthy, people following low-carb diets and people with blood sugar regulation issues, such as those with type 2 diabetes, should avoid consuming large amounts of cassava.
Cassava leaves contain cyanogenic glycosides, which can release toxic cyanide when consumed in large amounts or if not properly processed. Additionally, scientific literature does not specifically highlight blending young cassava leaves with milk for drinking as a beneficial or safe practice.
Boil Cassava Leaves And Ginger To Treat These 5 Diseases - Health - Nairaland
Respiratory issues. The concoction's anti-inflammatory properties can help soothe respiratory infections, alleviate coughs, and clear congestion in the airways.
The fiber content in cassava leaves also provides significant benefits in the digestion process, especially for the health of the large intestine. The benefits of cassava leaves include preventing anemia, improving the quality of breast milk, and preventing constipation.
As with soaking, the free cyanide of cassava chips is rapidly lost in boiling water. About 90% of free cyanide is removed within 15 minutes of boiling fresh cassava chips, compared to a 55% reduction in bound cyanide after 25 minutes (Cooke and Maduagwu, 1978).
Cassava leaves are a rich source of protein, minerals, and vitamins. Antinutrients and cyanogens in cassava leaves restricts their use as human food. Consumption of improperly processed cassava leaves might cause various diseases.
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Introduction: My name is Duncan Muller, I am a enchanting, good, gentle, modern, tasty, nice, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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