Nshima

Nshima (Nsima, Shima, Sima) is Zambia's Fufu-like staple, very similar to the Sadza of Zimbabwe and the Ugali of Kenya. It is usually made from maize (corn), but can also be prepared from flour or meal ground from other grains (millet, sorghum) or cassava tuber.

Nshima is always eaten with a soup or stew or sauce, which is called the ndiwo. The combination of nshima and ndiwo is the only thing that most Zambians call a real meal. The ndiwo is sometimes called the "relish", but it is more than that: the ndiwo is to the nshima what the meat is to the potatoes. One common ndiwo is a greens and peanut dish called Ifisashi. Other ndiwo dishes are made from various sorts of fish, meat, beans, or peas.
victoria falls

What you need

* four to six cups cornmeal, corn flour, or ground maize (one cup per serving is sufficient)
* water

What you do

* Pour cold water (two and 1/2 cups for each cup of cornmeal) into a large pot. Over high heat, begin to bring to a boil.
* After a few minutes, when the water is warm, slowly add the about half the cornmeal to the water one spoonful at a time, stirring continuously with a sturdy wooden spoon. Continue cooking (and stirring) until the mixture begins to boil and bubble. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a few minutes.
* Cooking the mixture over medium heat, add the remaining cornmeal, as before, sprinkling it spoonful by spoonful as you continue to stir. It is essential to keep stirring -- if making a large quantity, it may take one person to hold the pot and another to use two hands to stir. The nshima should be very thick (no liquid remaining) and smooth (no lumps). It may reach this point before all of the remaining cornmeal is added to the pot -- or it may be necessary to add even more cornmeal than this recipe indicates. Once the desired consistency is reached, turn off heat, cover the pot, and allow the nshima to stand for a few minutes before serving. Serve nshima immediately, hot, with the ndiwo of your choice. With clean hands, tear bits of nshima off and use them to scoop up the ndiwo.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Esther : Ghana (kiva.org)
• How To Make Hush Puppies (howcast.com)

Sadza

Sadza is Zimbabwe's version of the stiff porridge or dumpling common all over sub-Saharan Africa; a Fufu-like staple usually made from ground maize (corn), as is Zambia's Nshima or Eastern Africa's Ugali. Sadza is always eaten with a meat or vegetable soup or stew or sauce. In Zimbabwe, the word sadza itself is practically synonemous with lunch or supper; having sadza implies having a vegetable or meat dish to accompany it.
cotton field in malawi

What you need

* four to six cups corn flour, white cornmeal or ground maize -- or -- millet flour
* water

What you do

* In a large pot, bring four cups of water to a boil.
* Remove about a quarter of the corn flour and set it aside. Place the remaining corn flour in a large bowl. Mix the corn flour with four cups of cold water. Stir until the flour-water mixture is a thick paste. (You will need both a strong arm and a strong wooden spoon!)
* Slowly add the flour-water paste to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Bring to a second boil, stirring constantly while the mixture thickens. Do not allow lumps to form and do not allow it to stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook and stir for a few minutes.
* Slowly add the remaining flour. The mixture should be very thick and smooth, like extra-thick mashed potatoes. At this point the sadza should begin to pull away from the sides of the pot and form a large ball. Cook for a few minutes more.
* Transfer the sadza to a large bowl. With wet hands, form the sadaz into one large ball (to serve family-style) or serving sized-portions. Serve immediately with any soup or stew. To eat sadza: use your right hand to grab a bite-sized lump, form it into a ball, and dip it into the soup or stew.

Maize is Zimbabwe's number one agricultural crop. Sadaza is most often made from ground maize (corn), and this has been the case for a century or more. However, maize is native to the Americas, and did not arrive in Africa until after the time of Columbus. Before maize arrived in Zimbabwe, sadza was made from various type of millet native to Africa. To make sadza, use finely ground corn flour, or millet flour. Farina or cream of wheat might also serve as a substitute.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Esther : Ghana (kiva.org)
• A big bag of Potatoes (momblognetwork.com)
• Cornmeal biscuits (ckenb.blogspot.com)

Vegan Cornbread

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sifted flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar, (Sugar in the Raw brand)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 to 1 1/4 cup plain low-fat soy milk or rice milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the canola oil in a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet and heat the skillet in the oven until the oil is hot (about 10 minutes). Remove from the oven and swirl around so that the oil coats the skillet bottom and sides; set aside. Or while the oil is heating, you can work really fast to mix the corn bread before the oil starts to smoke or gets too hot.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large measuring cup or bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the applesauce and milk (if using rice milk, start with 1 cup). Use a fine-mesh strainer to sift the dry ingredients into the wet mix. Carefully add the heated oil from the skillet; the mixture will bubble a bit. Mix well.

Pour the warm batter into the hot, oiled skillet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve warm. Makes 8 servings.