Waterleaf
Also called: water leaf, Ceylon spinach, Talinum triangulare, Talinum fruticosum, pourpier tropical
Waterleaf is a leafy green with fleshy leaves and soft, juicy stems. The name tells you what to expect: it holds a lot of water and gives it up as it cooks. The flavour is mild, close to neutral, and it is ready in a few minutes.
That water is why Cameroonian cooks pair it with the tougher Gnetum leaves in the big soups of the South-West. For eru, the waterleaf usually goes into the pot first and wilts down, then the shredded eru goes in with palm oil, dried crayfish and meat or fish. It plays the same softening role in afang soup. Lumo has two recipes that use it: eru and afang soup.
Look for firm bunches with green leaves and no yellowing. Wash well in plenty of water, chop the leaves and tender stems, and do not overcook them. Waterleaf does not keep long: a day or two in the fridge, loosely wrapped in a cloth or an open bag. Outside Cameroon, African grocers sometimes carry it fresh or frozen. If you cannot find it, spinach is the usual stand-in. It brings the same softness to the pot, with a little less liquid, so you may need a splash of water.
Recipes with this ingredient
- Afang Soup Sud-Ouest · 1 hr 30 min
A rich Calabar-style soup: pounded afang (okazi) leaves and waterleaf cooked with goat meat, dried fish, periwinkle and palm oil.
- Eru Sud-Ouest · 1 hr
A South-West classic: finely shredded eru (okazi) and waterleaf greens stewed with beef, cow skin, smoked fish and crayfish in plenty of red palm oil.