Nsima and Ndiwo
Nsima is a thick porridge made from white cornmeal that is a staple meal in Malawi. Paired with ndiwo, a flavorful vegetable relish, this combination is made with accessible ingredients and is simple to make! This article will teach you how to make the entire authentic recipe at home!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 440kcal
Ingredients
Nsima Ingredients
- 2 cups white cornmeal
- 5 cups water
Ndiwo Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 small red onions diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 small roma tomatoes diced
- 16 cups greens I used a blend of kale, rainbow chard, and dandelion greens
- ½ cup water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Ndiwo Instructions
- In a small pan, heat the 2 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat until warm. Then add the 2 small red onions and saute for a few minutes until translucent. Add the 4 cloves garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add the 4 small roma tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes begin to sweat.
- Add the 16 cups greens into the pot and stir to coat in the onions and tomatoes. Sprinkle with Salt to taste.
- Then add the ½ cup water to the pan, cover, and cook for 5 minutes over the heat, or until the greens are tender.
- Once the greens are tender, remove the cover and continue to simmer until all of the water evaporates from the pan.
- Salt to taste, then serve with Nsima and enjoy!
Nsima Instructions
- In a large pot, add 5 cups water for the Nsima and place it over high heat. Allow the water to heat up until warm to the touch, but NOT until boiling (yet). Then turn the heat down to medium.
- Spoonful by spoonful, add half of the cornmeal into the water, using a sturdy wooden spoon to stir/beat between each addition.
- Once half of the cornmeal has been added, continue stirring over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to bubble.
- Once the mixture has bubbles, continue adding the cornmeal spoonful by spoonful, mixing between each addition. At this point, the Nsima should be getting rather thick and kind of difficult to stir.
- Continue adding cornmeal until the cornmeal is gone, then mix until all of the liquid is gone from the pot and the mixture is smooth.
- At this point, remove the Nsima from the heat, cover, and allow it to sit for approximately ten minutes.
- To serve, dip a clean wooden spoon in water, then scoop out the Nsima, allowing the blend to roll off of the wet spoon (the water is so that it doesn’t stick).
- Serve with any sides you enjoy, such as the Ndiwo! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Ndiwo Recipe adapted from Together Women Rise. Nsima Recipe researched using Cincila Hub and Taste of Missions.
- Most of the time, Ndiwo (relish) is eaten with meat in Malawi, though this is a vegetarian version of it!
- Onion: You can use white or yellow onions if you want a stronger onion flavor.
- Greens: I used a blend of kale, rainbow chard, and dandelion greens. You can use all or just choose one! Or feel free to use any other greens you have on hand or want to experiment with.
- It’s easy for lumps to form whenever you add flour to boiling water. To prevent this, it’s important to add the first half of the cornmeal to warm water and whisk until it bubbles.
- Be prepared to stir continuously! Nsima thickens quickly and if not stirred constantly it can clump or burn.
- Your mixture should be thick. If your nsima looks more like porridge, just sprinkle in a little more flour and stir until it firms up.
- The mixture is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the pot and feels stretchy when stirred. Don’t rush it!
- If you are not eating your nsima right away, be sure and cover it so it does not dry out.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 867mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2335IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 4mg