Mozambique – Matapa (Cassava Leaves Recipe)

by Y Shomwi

Cassava leaves may provide a taste you won’t believe your own taste buds. It is a relatively taste dish, made from stewed cassava leaves blended with ground peanuts, garlic, and coconut milk.

Preparation steps may seem time consuming, but they are welcoming ones.

Cassava is primary cultivated at household level and in Northern part of Mozambique, than compared to the southern part. Cultivation effect may also notice the easiest and hardness of finding Cassava leaves for Matapa, yet they are found in most of the supermarkets in the country.

Let us prepare this cuisine, welcome.

Prepare

• A bunch of Cassava leaves. (Two hands bunches)
• Grind in kinu (a wooden big bowl for grinding) them until soft.

• Two coconuts. (Packets or fruits)
• One bulb onion.
• Garlic.
• Peanut butter.
• Oil.
• One tea spoon of salt.

Cooking procedures

• Cut into small pieces your Bulb onion.
• Put grinned Cassava leaves mix into cooking pan. You may add salt at this step if you prefer.
• Let it boil for 30-50 minutes.
• Add onion pieces, garlic together with one coconut packet.
• Let the mix boil for 5 minutes, then add the last packet of coconut. Add peanut butter of about 3 teaspoons.
• Let your mix boil again for 7-9 minutes.
• Our delicious meal is ready for lunch or dinner, enjoy it with rice or any favored food.