Mbika (Congolese Pumpkin Seed Stew)

Name: Mbika (Congolese Pumpkin Seed Stew)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Republic of the Congo
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups ground pumpkin seeds; 1/2 lb smoked fish, flaked; 1 onion, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 2 tbsp palm oil; 1 cup chopped spinach or pumpkin leaves; 1 cup water; Salt to taste

5 servings15 min prep35 min cookEasy Republic of the Congo

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Mbika (Congolese Pumpkin Seed Stew)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Mbika, a stew thickened with ground pumpkin seeds, draws on an ingredient long used across Central African cooking, where pumpkin and squash seeds are dried, roasted, and ground much like peanuts to enrich and thicken sauces. In the Republic of Congo it's a homestyle dish typically cooked with fish, meat, or leafy greens.

Ingredients

Scale:· 5 servings

1 1/2 cups ground pumpkin seeds
1/2 lb smoked fish, flaked
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp palm oil
1 cup chopped spinach or pumpkin leaves
1 cup water
Salt to taste

Instructions

1Heat palm oil in a pot and sauté onion until soft.
2Add tomatoes and cook until they break down into a sauce.
3Stir in the ground pumpkin seeds along with the water to form a thick paste-like sauce.
4Add the smoked fish and simmer 10 minutes.
5Fold in the chopped spinach and cook 8-10 more minutes until wilted and the stew has thickened.
6Season with salt and serve with kwanga or rice.

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