Swaziland – Sishwala

by Y Shomwi

Sishwala is the most consumed food in Swaziland (e-Swatini), cooked to give a thick porridge of beans (mostly sugar beans) and maize meal mix. This is the loved cuisine because it comprises of the main ingredients in most of the meals in Swaziland.

There are some other types of these cuisines like:

Incwancwa.

This is another porridge of maize with sour milk added mainly from fermented mealie meal. It is among the loved dishes apart from Sishwala

Siphuphe setindlubu

This one has an addition of groundnuts at large giving it a whole taste of nuts. The northern tribes from Swaziland often likes this cuisine at large compare to other types.

We have others like sidvudvu and siphuphe semabhontjisi which is of pumpkin mix and of mashed beans respectively. The best thing is that all these types starts from the same main steps which we are going to pass on here, and changes at the very end steps, welcome.

Preparation

• 1 kg of maize
• 1/2 kg of beans (sugar beans)
• Peanut butter (in favor)
• Salt
• Water

Cooking steps

• Wash and clean beans, soak for one night to smooth their hardness and save coking time.
• Boil water in a cooking pan, add beans and boil for about half an hour. (beans takes longer to get cooked well)
• Add beans and salt. Let them boil together for another couple of minutes, like 30 minutes.
• Make sure beans are well cooked before the following steps.
• Add in peanut butter for taste (Sishwala is not primary mixed with peanut butter).
• Keep cook for 5-7 minutes.

Once done with the steps, you are ready to enjoy the meal from Swazi with other vegetable mix;

or chicken roast.