Lesotho (Africa) 14 July 2023

Lesotho is located in the continent of Africa. It has Eswatini to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, South Africa to the south and west, and Namibia and Botswana to the northwest.

The capital is Maseru.

The official languages are Sotho, and English.

The climate varies due to its location. Precipitation and winds occur from October and April. Hail occurs in the summer. In the lowlands, temperatures range from 20F to 90F. In the highlands they range from 0 F to 90F.

The staple foods are beans, berries, meat, vegetables, beetroot, carrots, grits, and much more (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Lesotho#:~:text=Lesotho’s%20food%20culture%20features%20likhobe,salads%20are%20common%20side%20dishes).

https://britannica.com/place/Lesotho

AFRICAN PAPA (https://globaltableadventure.com/recipe/african-papa/):  

            – ½ C white grits

            – 1-1/4 ~ 1-1/2 C stock (your preference)

            – salt

1. Bring stock to boil.
2. Stream in grits, while whisking constantly.
3. Cook until thickened for the time indicated on package.
4. Pour onto plates and let cool for a moment.
5. The grits will thicken up and can be eaten with the fingers.

Here is how my papa turned out. Really good on their own but better with the spinach!

SPINACH MOROHO (https://www.tarladalal.com/spinich-moroho-14639r):  

            – 1 bunch of spinach

            – 2 onions, thickly sliced

            – 3 tomatoes, chopped

            – ½ tsp chili powder

            – 2 whole dry Kashmiri red chilis

            – 3 ginger

            – 2 TBSP margarine

            – 1 tsp dry red chili flakes (paprika)

             – salt to taste

1. Chop the spinach and boil in the patila (pot) with 2 cups of water.
2. Add the sliced onion and tomatoes in with the spinach.
3. Make a paste with the whole chili, ginger, paprika, and then add in the spinach.
4. Add the margarine and salt to taste and cover the pot cooking for 10 minutes.
5. Serve hot as a side dish.

Here is how my spinach looked. Like I said above, adding this to the papa made the dish a complete treat!

MAKOENVA (Lesotho Cinnamon Rolls) (https://www.internationalcuisine.com/lesotho-cinnamon-rolls/):  

            – 2 tsp yeast

            – 1 TBSP sugar

            – 1 C water

            – 1 tsp salt

            – 2 tsp vegetable oil

            – 2 C flour

            – ¼ C raisins

            – oil for frying

            – equal parts cinnamon and sugar combined to roll them in

1. Combine yeast and sugar in a bowl and add 1 cup of lukewarm water.
2. Wait until it turns bubbly and frothy, about 10 minutes.
3. Add salt and oil.
4. Add flour until dough doesn’t stick to your hands while kneading (I used about 2 cups).
5. Add in the raisins and mix together.
6. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size.
7. Stretch the dough and pinch off medium size pieces.
8. Put in hot vegetable oil to fry until golden brown.
9. Roll them in cinnamon and sugar.
10. Serve warm with a cup of rooibos tea.
11. Enjoy!

I used whole wheat, but these little cinnamon rolls turned out really light, fluffy and good!!!