This delicious vegetable is a specialty of the Bayangs of Manyu Division in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. Fufu and eru has gained national popularity and is enjoying the high gastronomy morals.
Ingredients required to put fufu and eru on the table:
Water fufu (akpwu), water leaf (spinach), palm oil, maggi, salt, pepper, crayfish, smoked fish, cow skin (canda), meat or snails.
Preparing the eru:
Wash the canda with clean scouring sponge (iron sponge) and cut into sizable pieces.
Place on fire. Immediately it starts boiling, add a pinch of salt to taste.
Allow to boil while constantly checking if it is cooked and then add smoked fish. Allow to boil for five minutes again.
Wash thoroughly the sliced eru and strain in a sieve.
Pluck water leaf from the stems, wash and slice
Put in a pot and place on fire with just enough heat.
In order for the eru to maintain its green colour, add a pinch of salt and palm oil to the sliced water leaf depending on the quantity of the eru.
Add the cooked canda and smoked fish to the water leaf. Immediately it starts boiling.
Allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes. When the oil must have cooked well, add the eru while stirring. Add maggi and pepper to taste. Stir continuously to mix the eru properly. If tastes nice in the mouth, then the eru is ready.
The water fufu:
Put raw water fufu in a deep pot.
Mix with just enough water to make it smooth.
Place on fire, preferably wood fire with just enough heat. Start stirring immediately the pot is on fire until the paste is thick and the white colour of the fufu has turned a little brown.
Add a little water, depending on the quantity of fufu. Allow to boil for about 20 minutes and remove the pot from the fire.
Continue mingling while adding little drops of fresh water – not hot water! so as to let it attain an immaculate white and to be thoroughly smooth. The fufu should not be to hard, but just pasty enough for easy moulding with the fingers and smooth passage down the throat. You can now mould the fufu into cylinders ready for serving.
How fufu and eru can be eaten:
Put the fufu in a plate and the eru in a small bowl. You can now begin to savour the Bayang delicacy!