Malawi (Africa) 28 August 2026

Posted bydinasowerPosted inUncategorized

Malawi is located in the continent of Africa. It has Tanzania to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, Madagascar to the southeast, Mozambique to the south, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and Angola to the west, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the northwest.

The capital is Lilongwe.

There is no official language in their constitution. English is the official language of instruction.

It has two main seasons – the dry season (May to October) and the wet season (November to April).

The staple foods are sugar, coffee, corn, potatoes, sorghum, tomatoes, cassava, butter fish, beef, goat and so much more (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawian_cuisine).

https://www.britannica.com/place/Malawi

MALAWIAN CHICKEN CURRY WITH NSIMA (https://www.umami.recipes/recipe/lllQNqdVjR5MPefYBMGD):

  • 3 TBSP vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 medium white onions, sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 large carrots, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1/2 C white distilled vinegar
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 C yellow curry powder
  • 5 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
  • 1 pinch granulated sugar (optional)
  • 2 C ufa (fine-ground white cornmeal)
  • 5 1/2 C water
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter or margarine (optional)

Chicken Curry:

  1. In a very large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and garlic and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, or until vegetables are translucent, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
  2. Add the 1 remaining tablespoon of oil and the carrots and tomato paste. Fry about 1 to 2 minutes, then add the whole peeled tomatoes, using a wooden spoon to break them up in the pot to 1/2-inch pieces. Add vinegar, lemon juice, and curry powder and mix together.
  3. Add the chicken pieces and season generously with salt and pepper; stir together with the tomatoey vegetables. Pour enough water in the pot to cover the chicken (you may need to add more as the stew reduces). Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to a low, and cover. It takes at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours for the chicken to become fully tender, but it can also stay on the stove all day. The longer it simmers, the stronger the flavors and the more tender the chicken will be.
  4. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed, and a pinch of sugar. Serve over nsima or cooked rice.

Nsima:

  1. In a saucepan, heat the water until lukewarm. Slowly mix in the cornmeal while stirring, avoiding lumps. Bring to a boil while stirring continuously. Lower heat and let the porridge gently ripple for 2 minutes; the mixture should look like thin transparent porridge. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and cooked through.
  2. If desired, the butter or margarine can be added at this point. Nsima can be served in a dish or scooped onto a plate as patties. Accompany with meat, fish, or vegetables.

I used drumsticks for the chicken since it called for bone-in and skin-on. Delicious!!!!

STEAMED VEGETABLES:

A great side dish to this!!!

MALAWIAN MBATATA (Sweet Potato Cookies) (https://www.internationalcuisine.com/malawian-mbatata/):

  • 1 C mashed sweet potato about 2 sweet potatoes see note in Instructions
  • 1-1/4 C all-purpose sifted flour
  • 1/4 C milk
  • 1 egg
  • 4 TBSP melted butter
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 C raisins
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Mix sweet potatoes milk, egg, and melted butter in a bowl and beat together
  3. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
  4. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes
  5. Alternatively, you can chill the dough for an hour and roll out on a floured surface
  6. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter and place on a greased baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes.
  8. You can garnish with some cinnamon and sugar if desired.
  9. Serve warm.
  10. Note the cooking time does not include cooking the sweet potatoes. They should be peeled, cut up and put into boiling water for about 20 minutes or until fork tender and then mashed with a fork or potato masher.

I put cinnamon and sugar on the top! These to me have the same texture as pumpkin cookie. VERY delicious!! A MUST try!

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