Muriwo Une Dovi
Zimbabwe's collard greens: stewed with onion, tomato and a heaped spoon of peanut butter that melts into the leaves. Eaten alongside sadza.
Overview
Onion is fried soft in oil; tomato softens to a jammy base; greens (covo, kale, spring greens or cavolo nero) wilt down and braise with a little water; smooth peanut butter is added towards the end, thinning to a glossy sauce. Salt, pepper, maybe a squeeze of lemon. Eaten with sadza.
Ingredients
- 500 g collard greens, covo, spring greens (or cavolo nero, stems removed, leaves shredded)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion (large, finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 tomatoes (medium, chopped) or ½ (400 g) tin chopped tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (unsweetened)
- 100 ml hot water
Method
Stage 1 - Soften the base
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Soften the onion 6-7 minutes until pale gold.
- Add the garlic; cook 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato; cook 4-5 minutes until thick and the oil splits out.
Stage 2 - Wilt the greens
- Add the shredded greens in two or three additions, stirring as they wilt.
- Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Cover; reduce to low; cook 8-10 minutes until tender.
Stage 3 - Finish with peanut butter
- Whisk the peanut butter with the hot water to a loose sauce.
- Stir into the greens. Cook uncovered 2-3 minutes - the sauce should coat the leaves and look glossy, not pasty.
- Taste; adjust salt.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Tip into a serving bowl. Eat alongside sadza and any stew or dovi.
Notes
- Greens choice: Covo (Zimbabwean collard) is the original; in the UK / US use kale, cavolo nero, spring greens or collard greens. Spinach overcooks and bleeds water - skip it.
- Peanut butter quality: Smooth, unsweetened, no palm oil. Sweetened American-style brands ruin the dish.
- Don't drown it: The peanut sauce coats the greens, not braises them. If it pools at the bottom, cook off the excess.
Storage
- Refrigerate 3 days. Reheats well in a covered pan with a splash of water.
Recipes mentioned here
Dovi
Chicken thighs are browned in oil; onions and garlic are softened alongside. Tomato, paprika and peanut butter go in to build the sauce; water loosens it and the pot simmers covered until the chicken is falling off the bone and the sauce coats a wooden spoon. Spinach goes in for the last few minutes. The peanut butter must be smooth and unsweetened.
Sadza
Cold water and a slurry of maize meal go into the pot first; the pot comes to a boil and thickens to a loose porridge (rapoko / first thickening). More dry meal is added in handfuls, stirred hard with a wooden mugoti (paddle), until the mixture is too thick to stir easily and pulls cleanly from the sides of the pot. The pot is covered and steamed for 5 minutes to finish.
More like this
Dovi
Chicken thighs are browned in oil; onions and garlic are softened alongside. Tomato, paprika and peanut butter go in to build the sauce; water loosens it and the pot simmers covered until the chicken is falling off the bone and the sauce coats a wooden spoon. Spinach goes in for the last few minutes. The peanut butter must be smooth and unsweetened.
Domoda
Chicken thighs (or lamb) are browned, onions and tomato cooked down with garlic and a single whole chilli, then the meat simmers in stock until tender. A loose peanut paste is stirred in for the final 20 minutes, kept thin enough to ladle. Sweet potato or pumpkin softens in the sauce. A spoon of lime juice at the end balances the richness.
Kabsa
Saudi Arabia's national dish, the one platter you'll meet at almost every gathering from family lunch through wedding banquet. You brown chicken pieces or lamb shoulder hard in a heavy pot, then build a base of onion, garlic and ginger softened in the same fat, with tomato and a spoonful of baharat (or a dedicated kabsa spice mix) blooming until the kitchen fills with cardamom and cinnamon. The protein simmers in tomato and stock until it's tender and pulling away from the bone, then long-grain rice goes in to cook absorption-style in the same liquid, drinking up every layer of flavour the broth carries. You finish with almonds toasted in butter, raisins plumped briefly, and a fresh salsa of tomato, onion, chilli and parsley spooned on the side to cut the richness. Eaten communally from the centre platter, with hands or a long spoon.
Mafé
Bone-in beef or lamb is browned, then simmered with onions, garlic, tomato and stock. Smooth peanut butter is whisked in halfway and the stew thickens to a velvety coating. Chunks of cassava, sweet potato and cabbage cook in the sauce towards the end. Serve over plain steamed white rice.