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How to make sadza How to make Dovi stew Cooking gango and sadza Manhuchu cooking Mutsine cooking

🍞 Chimodho: (Traditional Zimbabwean Steamed Maize Meal Bread) About the Dish Chimodho is a soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet bread made mainly from maize meal (cornmeal), sometimes mixed with wheat flour for extra softness. It’s steamed rather than baked, giving it a moist texture and unique flavor. Chimodho is a comfort food in Zimbabwe, eaten at breakfast, lunch, or alongside main meals. It’s often prepared during weekends, special occasions, or communal gatherings. 🧺 Ingredients 3 cups maize meal (fine or medium) 1 cup wheat flour (optional, for softness) 1 cup warm water 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp dry yeast 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp cooking oil or melted butter Optional: 1 tsp baking powder (for extra rise) 🍳 Preparation Steps 🔸 Step 1: Activate the Yeast Mix warm water and sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the water and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until frothy. 🔸 Step 2: Mix the Dough In a large bowl, combine maize meal, wheat flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the yeas...

Mutakura: (Mixed boiled grains and legumes – Traditional Harvest Meal) 🌾 About the Dish Mutakura is a hearty mixture of boiled maize, groundnuts, and dry beans — sometimes including sorghum or millet — commonly eaten during the harvest season. It’s a high-protein, filling, and affordable dish that symbolizes abundance and community sharing. Mutakura is often prepared in rural areas and is a favorite snack or light meal for both children and adults. It’s a perfect example of how indigenous ingredients are combined for balanced nutrition. 🧺 Ingredients 2 cups dried maize kernels (whole) 1 cup dried groundnuts (peanuts), unshelled or shelled 1 cup dry sugar beans (or other local beans like cowpeas) Optional: ½ cup sorghum or millet Water for soaking and boiling Salt to taste 🍳 Preparation Steps 🔸 Step 1: Soak the Ingredients Rinse maize, beans, and groundnuts. Soak maize and beans overnight (8–12 hours) to reduce cooking time. Groundnuts can be soaked briefly or used raw. 🔸 St...

Nhopi: (Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Porridge – Traditional Comfort Food) 🎃 About the Dish Nhopi is a thick, sweet-savoury porridge made from pumpkin, peanut butter, and sometimes milk or cream. It’s a traditional breakfast or snack meal, especially popular with children, pregnant women, and elders. Soft, flavorful, and rich in nutrients, nhopi is a symbol of warmth, home, and nourishment. It’s also one of the easiest indigenous dishes to prepare, often made during the harvest season when pumpkins are plentiful. 🧺 Ingredients 2–3 cups pumpkin, peeled and cubed 2 tbsp peanut butter ½ tsp salt (optional) ½ cup fresh cream / milk (optional, traditional) 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey (optional, for sweet version) Water (enough to cover the pumpkin while boiling) 🍳 Preparation Steps 🔸 Step 1: Boil the Pumpkin Peel and cube the pumpkin into medium-sized pieces. Place in a pot and cover with just enough water. Boil until very soft and the water is almost absorbed (about 15–20 minutes). 🔸...

Nyevhe: (Spider Flower Leaves) Recipe Servings: 4 Cooking Time: ~40 minutes Nyevhe (Spider flower leaves), also known as Ulude in one of Zimbabwe’s official languages, is a traditional dried leafy green vegetable commonly referred to as mufushwa . It is usually dried during seasons of high yield so that families can enjoy it even when it is out of season. Nyevhe is rich in iron and is believed to contain more iron than spinach , making it a nutritious and highly valued indigenous vegetable. Ingredients 60g dried Nyevhe (Spider flower leaves) 2 medium tomatoes ½ small onion 1 tablespoon cooking oil ½ teaspoon salt Water Resources / Equipment Needed Saucepan Chopping board Sharp knife Wooden spoon Teaspoon Tablespoon Sieve or colander Method Step 1: Preparation Have all your ingredients ready. Place the dried Nyevhe (60g) into a saucepan and add cold water. Allow the Nyevhe to soak for 30 minutes . Step 2: Boil the Nyevhe After soak...

🥤 Maheu echimera: (Fermented Finger Millet Drink – Traditional Energy Beverage) 🌾 About the Dish Maheu echimera is a traditional fermented drink made from chimera (finger millet flour). It’s a refreshing, tangy, and slightly sweet beverage enjoyed cold — especially after long days of farming, school, or traditional ceremonies. It is nutritious, filling, and deeply cultural. This version of maheu is 100% indigenous because it uses chimera (finger millet) instead of maize — making it more traditional and healthier. 🧺 Ingredients 1 cup chimera (finger millet flour) 2–3 cups warm water (for mixing) 3–4 tablespoons brown sugar or honey (adjust to taste) 1–2 tablespoons rapoko or chimodho meal (optional, for thickness) Optional: ¼ teaspoon baking yeast (if you want faster fermentation) A large plastic bucket or clay pot 🥣 How to Prepare Traditional Maheu echimera 🔸 Step 1: Make Porridge Base In a pot, mix the chimera flour with cold water to make a smooth paste. Slowly add more wat...

🥭 Mapfura (Marula Fruit – Wild Food & Beverage) Indigenous superfruit used for food, drink, and fermentation 🌳 About Mapfura Mapfura (English: marula) is a wild fruit that grows mostly in southern Zimbabwe, especially in Masvingo, Mwenezi, and Matabeleland South. The fruit is yellow when ripe, with a tangy, sweet-sour taste. It’s used for: Making a fermented traditional beer Producing non-alcoholic juice Eating raw or drying the pulp Extracting mapfura oil from the kernel (used for cooking and skincare) Mapfura is packed with Vitamin C, antioxidants, and is known as a climate-resilient indigenous food. 🧺 Ingredients for Traditional Mapfura Drink 4 cups ripe mapfura fruit, peeled and de-stoned 5 cups clean warm water Optional: ½ cup sorghum or rapoko meal (to ferment) Optional: sugar (if a sweeter non-alcoholic version is preferred) A large clay pot or plastic container 🍹 How to Prepare (Traditional Method) 1. Clean and Mash Wash the mapfura fruit well. Remove the ou...

🐓 . Roadrunner Chicken Stew (Huku yechiboyi) (Free-range chicken, slow-cooked Zimbabwean style) 🐔 About the Dish This dish uses free-range chicken, locally called “huku yechiboyi” or “roadrunner”. These chickens are leaner and tougher than broilers, but they have a rich, deep flavor. They are traditionally served at important events like weddings, funerals, and family gatherings. 🧺 Ingredients 1 whole roadrunner chicken (cut into pieces) 1 large onion, chopped 2–3 medium tomatoes, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp ginger (optional) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp curry powder or Royco 1 tbsp cooking oil 2–3 cups water Optional: Fresh green pepper or chili for flavor 🍳 Preparation Steps 1. Clean the Chicken Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly. Some people rub with lemon juice or salt to clean more thoroughly. 2. Boil the Chicken First In a large pot, add the chicken, salt, garlic, ginger, and a little water. Cover and boil on medium heat for 30–45 minutes until the meat is soft. Roadrunn...

🥬 Mufushwa une Dovi (Dried Leafy Greens with Peanut Butter) 🌿 About the Dish Mufushwa une dovi is a popular rural Zimbabwean dish made by rehydrating and cooking dried leafy vegetables (like cowpea leaves, pumpkin leaves, or rape) and combining them with peanut butter for a rich, creamy flavor. It’s traditionally preserved for use during dry seasons when fresh vegetables are not available. 🧺 Ingredients 2 cups mufushwa (dried vegetables: cowpea leaves (nyevhe), rape, or pumpkin leaves) 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 2 tbsp peanut butter 1 tbsp cooking oil Salt to taste 2 cups water 🍳 Preparation 1. Rehydrate the Vegetables Soak the dried mufushwa in warm water for 1–2 hours. Rinse thoroughly to remove dirt and sand. Boil in fresh water for 10–15 minutes until soft. Drain excess water. 2. Prepare the Base In a clean pot, heat oil and fry onions until golden. Add tomatoes and cook until they break down into a thick sauce. 3. Add the Vegetables Add the c...

🥬 Traditional Dish: Muboora une Dovi (Pumpkin leaves with peanut butter) --- 🌿 What is it? This is a delicious, healthy, and traditional Zimbabwean vegetable dish made from pumpkin or squash leaves cooked with peanut butter (dovi). It's often eaten with sadza. 🧺 Ingredients 3 cups fresh muboora (pumpkin leaves), washed and shredded 1 medium onion, chopped 1–2 tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons peanut butter (dovi) 1 tablespoon cooking oil A pinch of bicarbonate of soda (optional, to soften leaves) Salt to taste 🍳 How to Prepare 1. Wash and Shred the Leaves Use young pumpkin leaves. Remove any hard stems. Roll them together and slice finely. 2. Boil the Muboora In a pot, boil some water. Add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda (or ashes, if traditional). Boil the leaves for 5–7 minutes, then drain. 3. Make the Stew Base In a clean pot, heat the oil. Fry the chopped onions until soft. Add tomatoes, cook until soft and saucy. 4. Add the Pumpkin Leaves Add the boiled muboora into the toma...

🍽️ Dish: Sadza neKapenta 🧺 Ingredients Sadza 2 cups maize meal (mielie-meal) 4 cups water Kapenta Stew 250 g dried kapenta (matemba) 1 medium onion, chopped 1–2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp curry powder 2 tsp tomato paste (optional) 1 tsp minced garlic 2 tbsp cooking oil A splash of water Chopped spring onions for garnish 🍳 Preparation 1. Sadza 1. Combine 1 cup maize meal with 2 cups cold water to form a smooth slurry. 2. Boil the remaining 2 cups of water in a pot. 3. Slowly add the slurry while stirring continuously. 4. Once thickened, gradually add more maize meal to reach a firm, dough-like consistency. 5. Lower heat, cover, and steam for a few minutes. 2. Kapenta Stew 1. Soak dried kapenta in boiling water for 10–15 minutes, then drain and pat dry. 2. Heat oil in a pan, fry kapenta until lightly browned, then set aside. 3. In the same pan, sauté onion and garlic with curry powder for ~1 minute. 4. Add tomatoes and tomato paste, cook for ~3–5 minutes until sof...

🍲 Traditional Zimbabwean Indigenous Meal Dish Name: Derere neSadza rezviyo (Okra with Finger Millet Sadza) 🌾 About the Dish This is a classic rural Zimbabwean meal rich in nutrients and cultural significance. Sadza rezviyo (millet sadza) is made from finger millet flour and is considered healthier than maize sadza. Derere (okra) is often cooked with baking soda or ashes to give it a slimy texture, loved in many households. 🧺 Ingredients For Sadza rezviyo: 2 cups Zviyo flour (finger millet) 4 cups Water Optional: pinch of salt For Derere: 2 cups fresh okra, finely chopped 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (or ashes if traditional) 1 medium tomato, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped 1 tbsp cooking oil or traditional peanut oil Salt to taste 🍳 Preparation Instructions 🍚 Sadza rezviyo: 1. Boil 3 cups of water in a pot. 2. In a bowl, mix 1 cup of water with the zviyo flour to make a smooth paste. 3. Slowly pour the paste into the boiling water, stirring continuously. 4. Reduce heat and let it simmer f...

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Bika SaAmai – Indigenous Kitchen in Your Pocket

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Things to know

Chimodho Bread

Mutakura

Nhopi

Nyevhe

Maheu

Marula Beverage

Roadrunner Chicken

Mufushwa nedovi

Mubowora with peanut butter

Sadza neKapenta

Sadza neDerere