Sautéed Ndagala (Whitebait) in Tomato Sauce

http://burundigoats.tripod.com/Taste_of_Africa/Ndagala/ndagala.html

Ndagala are small fish that are unique to Lake Tanganyika and are a favorite ingredient in Burundian cuisine. They are 2-3" long, and are sold either fresh and dried. The most popular way of eating them is simply by frying – whole – in a little oil and eating with a little lemon juice or hot sauce. As a main dish, they are most commonly cooked in a tomato sauce and eaten with 'pâte' – a thick porridge made of manioc (cassava) flour.

Ingredients:

2 T Palm oil
250 g Ndagala (left whole)
2 Onions (chopped)
4 Garlic (chopped) – not used in rural areas
3 Large tomatoes (chopped)
1 Hot pepper (whole)
½ L Water
Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat palm oil over high heat, to allow sediments to burn off *
• Add ndagala and sautée until well browned – reserve in another pan
• Sautee onions & garlic, then add tomatoes and cook until a nice sauce is formed
• Add ½ L of water & the whole hot pepper
• Cook sauce down until it is of the thickness you want
• Add salt to taste
• Add sautéed ndagala,
• Cook until well mixed

* Palm oil is made in hand presses in the villages and contains quite a bit of sediment, which must be cooked off prior to adding ingredients.

To Serve:

• Make a pot of 'pâte' – a stiff porridge made of manioc flour (method described in pictures, below)
• Mound the pâte in the middle of a round tray
• Pour ndagala sauce over and around the pâte
• Place tray in the middle of a small table
• Everyone sits around the table and eats with a large spoon from the dish
• Any leftovers are for breakfast the next morning
• Some villagers use banana leaves as the tray – the leaf then being fed to the animals
• Voila! No dirty dishes!