Around the World on 80 Plates: recipes from Africa

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Imphwa from Zambia

This dish is especially for the vegetarians out there. Incredibly easy and very tasty, this could be served as a main dish with rice or maize meal porridge. Alternatively, this is good as a side-dish to cater for the vegetarian contingent at your BBQ.

2 cups water

3 onions coarsely chopped

3 tomatoes diced into cubes

3 cups diced brinjal

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the onions and tomatoes in the water and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and give it a stir. Cook for a further 20 minutes and you're done. I told you it was quick and easy!

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Peanut Pumpkin from Zimbabwe

This dish from Zimbabwe is so easy and simple to make, even non-cooks will succeed with it. Very yummy and I can't stress enough how easy it is to make. Great as a side dish, especially when served cold at a barbecue. This can be made with pumpkin or butternut. My personal preference is for butternut.

½ cup water

½ pumpkin/butternut peeled and cut into small cubes

4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
First boil the water in a pot then add the pumpkin or butternut cubes. Add the sugar and a large pinch of salt. When the pumpkin is soft and you can easily test its softness with a fork, pour out excess water and turn off the heat. Add the peanut butter while your pumpkin cubes are still piping hot and stir it in making sure to coat all the cubes. The peanut butter will start to melt and will be absorbed into the pumpkin. You can mash the pumpkin or leave it as soft cubes. Serve hot or cold as a great accompaniment.