05/04/2025
I'd love to help you with that! Malawi has some amazing traditional dishes. Let's start with one of the most popular ones:
Nsima with Ndiwo (Relish) — this is a staple meal in Malawi.
Here’s a simple recipe to get you started:
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1. Nsima (Maize Flour Porridge)
Ingredients:
2 cups maize flour (ufa woyera)
4 cups water
Instructions:
1. In a pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
2. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup maize flour with 1 cup of cold water to make a smooth paste.
3. Pour the flour paste into the boiling water while stirring continuously.
4. Let it cook for 3–5 minutes.
5. Gradually add the remaining maize flour bit by bit while stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. The mixture should become thick.
6. Continue stirring and cooking for about 5–10 more minutes until it pulls away from the pot and becomes firm.
7. Shape into mounds using a wooden spoon.
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2. Ndiwo (Relish) - Pumpkin Leaves with Groundnuts (Nkhwani ndi Mtedza)
Ingredients:
2 handfuls of pumpkin leaves (nkhwani), washed and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup groundnut flour (or pounded raw groundnuts)
1 cup water
Salt to taste
Instructions:
1. In a pot, boil the chopped pumpkin leaves with a little water for about 5 minutes.
2. Add chopped onions and tomato. Cook until soft.
3. Mix the groundnut flour with a bit of water to make a paste.
4. Add the paste to the vegetables and stir well.
5. Simmer on low heat for 10–15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
6. Serve with nsima.
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Would you like to learn how to cook chambo (fish) or beans ndi mtedza next?