How to Stew Canda (Ponmo): Tender Nigerian Beef Skin Recipe

Street food has enduring appeal: it’s bold, satisfying and made to sell. Recreating the flavours and techniques of street vendors in your own kitchen is one of the best ways to enliven everyday meals. Today I’m sharing a tender, flavourful street-style favourite—Stewed Canda.

I call it Stewed Canda, though the name varies by region. Growing up we sometimes called it chuking canda because people would pick pieces from vendor pots with a fork or toothpick. A fan asked for this recipe and it brought back warm memories: selling Canda at the Mount Cameroon race in Buea, the irresistible aroma from simmering pots, and how a small amount of money could buy a juicy piece marinated in tomato sauce.

If you follow the steps carefully, this version is simple to make at home. Canda is beef skin that is traditionally charred before cooking; in Nigeria it’s known as ponmo.

Ingredients

2 pounds (about 1 kg) beef skin (canda)

1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato paste

5 garlic cloves

About 1 inch fresh ginger

1 red habanero pepper (or to taste)

2 small seasoning cubes (Maggi or Knorr), chicken flavor preferred

1 medium onion

Salt to taste

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Method

1. Prepare the canda: If your beef skin is raw and uncharred, trim and place the pieces on a baking tray lined with foil. You can remove the inner fleshy part if you prefer, but I keep it for extra texture.

2. Char the skin: Preheat the oven to 350°F (about 175°C). Roast the canda until it browns, about 10–15 minutes. This simulates the smoky flavour from traditional open-fire charring and helps the skin take on the classic curled appearance if it’s meatless.

3. Parboil the canda: Place the browned slices in a pot, add a little water and bring to a simmer. Add some chopped onion, salt and the seasoning cubes. Keep the water level low and top up as needed so the canda cooks slowly and you finish with only a small amount of stock. Boil until very tender—firm canda is hard to chew, so allow enough time for it to soften fully.

4. Preserve the stock: As the canda cooks you’ll be left with a small, flavourful stock—don’t discard it. This liquid will deepen the final sauce.

5. Blend aromatics: Peel the garlic and ginger, add the habanero (or preferred pepper) and a little water, then blend to a coarse paste.

6. Fry the base: Heat the oil in a pot, sauté chopped onion until soft, then add the crushed tomatoes or tomato paste. Fry the mixture until the tomatoes reduce, darken slightly and begin to stick to the pan—this concentrates the flavour.

7. Add the blended aromatics: Stir the garlic-ginger-pepper paste into the frying tomatoes and cook for a few minutes—frying these ingredients in oil develops a rich, rounded flavour.

8. Combine and finish: Add the cooked canda along with its reserved stock to the tomato mixture. Stir well, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the sauce coats the pieces.

9. Serve: Remove from heat and, if you like, garnish with sliced onions. Stewed Canda can be served as an appetizer or as a main with fried plantains, rice or your preferred starch.

Notes
Cut canda into bite-size pieces if you plan to serve it as finger food picked with toothpicks. I left larger pieces here to mimic the street-vendor look. The key points: char for smoke, simmer until very tender, and keep the cooking stock for maximum flavour.

If you try this recipe, leave a comment and share your experience. Enjoy your Stewed Canda!