Wait what? Are we doing this? Yes!
A couple of months ago, I was thinking that I should do a cooking blog, and it hit me. For those travelers who are interested in the Zambian cuisine well in this blog tutorial I'll try to cover well at least 0.0005% of the Zambian food chain, whoa! there is a lot of food out there but today my main focus is the staple food popularly known as "Ubwali" from the Bemba dialect.
Without further or due lets dive right in!
Here is what you need;
- A pot
- A Traditional Cooking Stick (don't worry they are abundant among the local markets)
- Meali Meal (corn flour, at least 10KG)
- Water (at least 800ml)
- Heat Source
Alright! Looking good, a lot of times most people think it is impossible to prepare Nshima especially if you are out of the country, well lets spare that for now. Like always the key to cooking good food is patience, letting it simmer on the fire(heat source) for some time and Oh Boy can you cook! Its all mental.
1. Burn Up The Flame!
I meant to say, start your fire or heat source that you have. It can be a gas stove, an electric stove, a blazzier or if you really want to go indigenous you can use fire wood(quite smoky too, but experience it).
2. Pour Water Into Pot!
Now since to you this is a trial or rather test or class, I would advise that you pour 500ml of water into the pot.
Then put the pot on fire! Depending on how strong your heat source is after some time the water will get warm, right when you start to see little bubble in your pot! step NO.3
3. Add Corn Flour!
To a scale of 500ml you can add at least 300ml of the corn flour, follow me step by step on this one. Before you pour it all in there, add little by little while stiring, while you add corn flour keep stiring until you have a thick porridge, then let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
NOTE: IF YOU PUT LESS CORN FLOUR, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE SPILLING OF THE MIXTURE OUT OF THE POT YET AGAIN IF YOU PUT MORE THAN ENOUGH CORN FLOUR, IT WON'T COOK PROPERLY BECAUSE IT WILL BE TOO THICK TO LET HEAT PASS THROUGH EACH AND EVERY PARTICAL, WHICH CAN LEAD TO FAILURE TO COOK ACCORDINGLY AND IF YOU ATE THAT YOU WOULD EXPERIENCE STOMACH ACHES. POUR SMART!
4. Add More Corn Flour!
After making sure that it simmered for 20-25 minutes, gently add more corn flour to the mixture while you stir HARD, now this is where it gets tricky. As an individual new to this process, it is normal to feel pain in your arm. When you successfully add more flour, it will get thicker and thicker so it will get hard for you to stir more. If there is a local nearby you can call he or she to help you finish the job, also note that if you add more than enough flour, it will be hard as a rock and you won't be able to eat that.
As a first timer to this type of food finish it soft and nice.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You just made dinner!
Go ahead put it on your plate!
You can eat with chicken.
OR
MEAT!
OR
VEGGIES!
You can serve with any kind of relish you want, it can even look like this.
In any way, BON APPETIT!
If you have any inquiries pleas go ahead submit your email down below.
OR
You can buy me a coffee right here.
0 Comments