A Taste of Zimbabwe!!

We are not sure if you will be able to get most of the ingredients but here are our recipes to try!!  They are all a main course as generally in Zimbabwe we only eat one course.  This meal traditionally is to be eaten with your hands.  Starting with taking some Mealie Meal in your fingers and eating some relish with it – popping it all into your mouth!  Have fun and enjoy!!  Sadza is quite an art to cook!!

Mealie Meal – Sadza

Cooked porridge that you can pick up in your hands – knives and forks are not often used.

• A 2L pot
• A Wooden Spoon
• Ground Mealie Meal – Polenta could work if you can’t find Mealie Meal
• 1.5L of Water

Method

1. Boil 1.5L of water
2. Put 500ml cup of Mealie Meal and mix with cold water in a separate jug.
3. Pour the mixture into the boiling water on a hot plate and mix or stir to prevent lumps from being formed.
4. Once mixed well leave the contents to boil whilst the lid is on for 10-15minutes.  Reduce the head on the plate to very low once this time has elapsed.
5. Add powered Mealie Meal slowly and keep stiring – need strong arms for this until the mixture is thick enough to be held by your hands.

Bean Relish

• Water
• Salt
• 15g Gravy – could be beef powdered soup etc
• 1-2 Onions
• 35ml Cooking Oil
• 6 Tomatoes
• Spices (optional)
• 300g Sugar Beans

Method

1. Soak the washed dry beans for about two hours.
2. Boil in fresh water for about three hours or just until the beans are soft enough to break between your fingers.  Then remove from the heat.
3. Put the oil in a pan, add the diced tomatoes and shredded onion – you can grate these – to the oil.
4. Cook the tomatoes, onions to make a tomato soup.  When the soup is ready at the rest of the ingredients and cook for a further 35 minutes.

N.B.  In step 2 some more water may be added to the beans to make them softer if water all boils out before the bean seeds are soft.

Spinach Relish

X1 big bunch of Spinach Shredded

X1 big onion shredded

X4 Tomatoes

15g Gravy – could be beef powdered soup etc

 

Method

1. Put the oil in a pan, add the diced tomatoes and shredded onion – you can grate these – into the oil.
2. Once cooked add the spinach and fry for a bit until cooked.