This is the Ivorian (from Côte d’Ivoire) version of the jute mallow based sauce that’s prepared (in various ways) all across West Africa. Though it can be served with rice, kpala is most typically served with plakali (see next recipe). Traditionally this recipe is made with fermented adjuevan fish, which is very hard to source outside Côte d’Ivoire. The closest easily-available substitute would be 2 tbsp of Asian fish sauce (eg nuac nom or nam pla).
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time: 70 minutes/Serves: 4
Ingredients:
230g (1/2 lb) of kplala (jute mallow) leaves
1 cold smoked fish, broken into pieces and with bones removed
2 tbsp dried prawns (shrimp), soaked in warm water
2 tbsp fish sauce
6 small crabs, top shell taken off, intestines and gills removed
125ml (1/2 cup) red palm oil
200g mushrooms (either fresh or dried and soaked in warm water)
3g of potash (or bicarbonate of soda)
2 habanero chillies
1 maggi cube
1 whole onion
1 whole tomato
1.5l (6 cups) of water
salt, to taste
Method:
Thoroughly wash the jute (kpala) leaves then shred very finely and set aside.
Bring 1l (4 cups) water to a boil in a pot. As soon as it’s boiling, add the fish pieces, crabs, mushrooms and soaked prawns. Strain the soaking water from the prawns (and mushrooms if using dry) through a fine-meshed sieve, leaving any grit behind. Add this to the pot, too.
Bring back to a boil and cook for 5 minutes before adding the tomato, onion, chillies and red oil. Season to taste with salt, cover and cook for 30 minutes over medium heat.
After 30 minutes remove the whole onion, tomato and chillies. Pound to a paste in a mortar then return to the pot. Crumble the Maggi cube into the sauce. Adjust the seasonings to taste, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
In the meantime, boil the jute leaves in 350ml (1 2/5 cups) water. As soon as it comes to a boil add the fish sauce and potash (or bicarbonate of soda). Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, or until the leaves are nicely tender. Reduce the heat then beat briskly until the leaves break down and yield a green sauce.
Add a ladleful of the main sauce to the jute leaf mixture then add this back to the main sauce, mixing well to combine.
Serve hot, accompanied by plakali.
