As you may already know, Hills of Africa has published a beautiful cookbook featuring recipes from some of southern and eastern Africa’s most esteemed and celebrated properties and other traditional African & Zimbabwean recipes. The book holds a very special place in my heart because I grew up in Zimbabwe with most of the traditional Zimbabwe recipes featured in it. Working on it let me transport myself back to my beautiful childhood on a farm in Chimanimani — an area located on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
It means so much to be able to share a little taste of African cuisine and culture with all of you through these pages.
A few weeks ago, I featured some of my favorite dessert recipes from growing up. For today’s blog post, I’m featuring some of my favorite savory dinner and lunch traditional Zimbabwe recipes.
See below for some traditional Zimbabwe recipes from my childhood that I have brought into my home:
Rice Salad
My side note: This is a wonderful side dish for a braai or barbecue.
Serves 6
- 3 cups brown rice
- ¼ cup whole lentils
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 cups water
- 6 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ red pepper, diced
- ½ green pepper, diced
- 1 large red onion, diced
Method:
- Rinse rice and lentils with water and place in large pot.
- Cover with water and bring to a boil. Gently boil for approximately 30 minutes until rice is cooked (it should look split and curly).
- Drain rice and lentils through a colander. Set aside to cool.
- Mix vinegar, curry powder, brown sugar, turmeric, soy sauce, oil, and salt together in a container with a tightly fitting lid.
- Pour over rice and lentils and add red and green peppers and onions. Toss well.
- Serve at room temperature.
Delicious Chicken!
My side note: This recipe was given to me by my beautiful sister-in-law Edz. It has become our family’s favorite dinner — by far! We like to serve it with a crisp green salad and garlic bread.
Serves 6
- 12 chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup smooth apricot jam
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional)
- 1 packet brown onion/mushroom soup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 cups water
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place chicken portions in a large baking dish.
- In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour sauce over chicken and bake for 1¼ hours, until sauce is thick and chicken pieces caramelized.
Chakalaka
My side note: My husband loves his spicy food, and chakalaka is very spicy. It is a traditional spicy tomato, pepper, and onion relish that is normally served with sadza, bread, stews, or curries. You can serve it hot or cold. We like to serve it as an accompaniment to most meals to add a bit of spice.
Serves 4–6 *Keeps for 7 days in the refrigerator
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 onions, finely diced
- 2 bell peppers, finely diced
- 2–3 hot chili peppers (such as jalapeño), minced
- 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, chili peppers, garlic, and curry powder. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions and peppers are cooked down and wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite meal.
