Nshima

Nshima with Rape Leaves and Bean Relish

Zambia's national dish: a smooth, firm maize-meal porridge shaped into balls by hand and eaten with vegetable and bean relishes. Traditionally, nshima is the centre of the plate, with everything else served as accompaniments to be scooped up with it.

Prep

15 min

Cook

45 min

Total

60 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (17½ oz (about 3¼ cups)) white maize meal, Fine or medium-grind 'mealie meal'; do not substitute cornmeal intended for cornbread, which is too coarse
• •1.5 L (6¼ cups) water, divided, Room temperature for the first slurry, then additional for thinning
• •1 tsp salt, For the nshima; plus salt for the relish
• •500 g (1 lb) rape leaves (or collard greens), Stems removed, leaves shredded; Swiss chard is the closest substitute
• •1 medium onion, Finely chopped
• •2 tbsp sunflower or peanut oil
• •2 cloves garlic, Crushed
• •1 small tomato, Chopped; optional but common
• •400 g (14 oz) cooked beans (e.g. sugar beans or pinto), Drained; either home-cooked or canned, rinsed

Steps

1. 1 FOR THE NSHIMA: Pour 250 ml / 1 cup of the water into a heavy pot, add ½ tsp salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. 2 Meanwhile, whisk 250 g / 1½ cups of the maize meal into the remaining 1.25 L / 5¼ cups cold water in a separate bowl until completely smooth and lump-free.
3. 3 Once the pot boils, pour the maize slurry in all at once, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or mwiko (cooking stick) to prevent lumps forming on the bottom.
4. 4 As the mixture thickens (about 5–8 minutes), begin sprinkling the remaining 250 g / 1½ cups maize meal into the pot in small handfuls, stirring firmly and continuously in a folding motion — press the dough against the sides of the pot as you turn it. This is the key step that develops the smooth, elastic texture.
5. 5 Cook for a further 20–25 minutes, adding splashes of hot water (a few tablespoons at a time) whenever the mixture looks too stiff or starts catching. The finished nshima should pull away from the sides of the pot cleanly, hold its shape when scooped, and feel firm but pliable — somewhere between stiff mashed potato and soft play-dough. If a spoon stands upright in the centre, it is ready.
6. 6 Wet your hands with cold water (keep a bowl of water beside the pot) and roll portions of the hot nshima into smooth, fist-sized ovals. The wet hands keep it from sticking.
7. 7 FOR THE GREENS: While the nshima cooks, heat the oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent.
8. 8 Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the tomato and a pinch of salt; cook 2–3 minutes until the tomato breaks down into a rough sauce.
9. 9 Add the shredded rape leaves a handful at a time, turning them in the onion base. Cover and cook 4–5 minutes until wilted and tender but still bright green; add a splash of water if the pan dries out. Taste and adjust salt.
10. 10 FOR THE BEAN RELISH: Gently warm the drained beans in a small pot with 60 ml / ¼ cup water and ½ tsp salt for 5–6 minutes, mashing about a third of the beans with the back of a spoon to thicken the sauce.
11. 11 TO SERVE: Place one or two nshima balls on each plate alongside a mound of greens and a spoon of bean relish. Traditionally, diners tear off a small piece with the fingers, press an indentation with the thumb, and use it to pinch up a bite of relish. Eat with your right hand.