Sicklepod leaves

Senna obtusifolia

leaf

Young leaves of a wild senna, cooked in sauce or fermented into a black paste, kawal, which seasons sauces like a stock cube.

Origin

Sahel (Chad, Sudan, Niger, northern Nigeria)

Season (United States)

July to October

Preparation

The young leaves are washed, chopped and cooked in the sauce for about ten minutes; fermented into kawal, a small amount is crumbled into the sauce as a condiment.

Molecules

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vegetable nitratesIn small amounts, not counted Chlorophyll

Did you know?

In Sudan, kawal ferments for nearly two weeks in a buried jar.