Cornmeal is a staple in the African diet. Ground corn is cooked and stirred in boiling water until it forms a stiff porridge eaten with stew or soup. It is called different names depending on which part of the continent you are; sadza (Zimbabwe/Tanzania), ugali, posho (Uganda), tuwo masara (Nigeria), nshima (Zambia), mealie pap (South Africa), corn fufu and so on. Today’s post focuses on the East African cornmeal - Zimbabwean sadza recipe.
Although sadza is typically made from corn, there are other types of sadza named according to the type of grain they are made from. Brown sadza is made from millet or sorghum. Sadza can also be made out of mixed grains. Corn sadza is liked because it is pretty bland and would easily take on the taste of any stew or soup, which makes it easy to eat.
In Zimbabwe, Sadza is a significant dish eaten any time of the day, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Therefore, in most households, it is eaten at least once a day.
How To Make Sadza
Here are the ingredients you need…
- Cornmeal
- Water
A few notes about the ingredients...
Corn meal: This is different to, and not same as fine as corn starch, which is more popular in the UK. You will find cornmeal in most Asian and African stores. You can also buy on Amazon.
How To Make It...
Add 2 cups of cold water into a pan with a long handle (you will hold on to the handle when stirring later on). Pour ⅔ of the corn meal into the pan and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Place on medium heat and stir continuously with a wooden turner/turning stick until the mixture starts to boil with bubbles as it becomes thicker.
Cover the pan for a few minutes to allow the maize meal to cook. If you don’t cover the pan, the thick liquid likes to splash and will get everywhere, including the hands of the person making it.
Reduce the heat to very low, then add the remaining cornmeal into the pan. Mix the flour into liquid by stirring vigorously and pressing against the sides of the pot to get rid of lumps.
Stir and press until the mixture becomes a firm paste with a smooth consistency.
Add a little water to the pan and cover to allow the sadza to cook properly. After about 5 mins, stir again to mix in the water and continue to do this until there is no raw flour taste and the paste is smooth.
Remember that, like most porridges, sadza becomes even firmer when cold. If the paste is too thick, stir in some water to soften. You want a consistency where you can scoop the sadza up with a spoon without any dripping from the sides of the spoon.
Remove from heat, serve by dipping a spoon in cold water (to prevent sadza sticking to the spoon); use it to scoop up the corn meal and transfer it into a bowl.
Serve with your favourite soup, and enjoy.
What To Serve With Sadza
Zimbabwean sadza is versatile and pairs well with most soups and stews. It is popularly served with meat stew, pumpkin leaf stew, kidney beans soup, and roast meat.
Other soups which can be served with sadza are;
Pumpkin leaf soup
What To Do With Left-Over Sadza
If you have left-over sadza, you can keep under room temperature till the next day or pop in the fridge for a few days.
The easiest way to reheat this cornmeal is to place in the microwave for a few minutes. Turn with a spoon, then place back in the microwave for an extra minute.
In the absence of a microwave, add some water into a pan and bring to boil. Crumble the left over sadza into the pan while it boils.
Reduce the heat and stir in some corn meal.
Continue to stir and press agains the side of the pot until it forms a stiff paste.
Related Recipes
If you like this East African cornmeal, other East African Recipes to try are;
Zimbabwean Sadza
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cornmeal
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of cold water into a pan with a long handle. Pour ⅔ of the corn meal into the pan and mix well with a wooden spoon.
- Place on medium heat and stir continuously with a wooden turner/turning stick until the mixture starts to boil with bubbles as it becomes thicker. Cover the pan for a few minutes to allow the maize meal to cook.
- Reduce the heat to very low, then add the remaining cornmeal into the pan. Mix the flour into liquid by stirring vigorously and pressing against the sides of the pot to get rid of lumps. Stir and press until the mixture becomes a firm paste with a smooth consistency.
- Add a little water to the pan and cover to allow the sadza to cook properly. After about 5 mins, stir again to mix in the water and continue to do this until there is no raw flour taste and the paste is smooth.
- Remove from heat and serve.
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