We’ve added a recipe section to BorderJumpers… check out our first dish….
Traditionally, around Africa, most meals involve nshima (as it is called in Zambia), which is a dough-like cornmeal dish base paired with a relish. Vegetarians can enjoy nshima with ifisashi, which is Zambia’s version of a leaf and nut side.
Nshima:
Ingredients:
2 cups of corn meal
4 cups water
Directions:
First, heat water in pot for 3 to 4 minutes or until lukewarm. Then, one tablespoon at a time, add 6 tablespoons of corn meal to the water, stirring slowly and continuously with a wooden spoon. Keep on heat and allow to boil. The mixture will thicken. Once it is at a boil, set heat on medium, cover the pot and leave to simmer for 4 minutes. Slowly add remaining corn meal, continuously stirring, this time quickly, so that the mixture becomes smooth and thick. After all corn meal has been incorporated, continue to stir vigorously. Once it is quite thick and dough-like in texture, take off of heat and cover for a few minutes. Nshima is somewhat bland, and should be paired with a flavorful vegetable relish, one option is ifisashi (recipe below).
Ifisashi
Ingredients:
2 cups of Water
1 ½ cups of raw peanuts shelled and skins removed
2 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 large onion copped
1 pound of collard greens or pumpkin leaves roughly chopped.
Salt
Directions:
Grind raw peanuts to create a powder (natural, sugar free peanut butter can be used instead of the peanut powder). Place peanut powder (or peanut butter)in a large saucepan with 2 cups of water, chopped tomatoes and onion. Bring to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes. Then, add greens, making sure to remove all stems. Greens will wilt into sauce. Allow sauce to simmer until the dish has a nice, thick peanut sauce. To prevent the contents from burning, add water if the dish looks like it is dry. Add salt to taste.
Original at borderjumpers1.blogspot.com
Bernard Pollack, an expert on local labor movements and communications, is currently traveling across the continent of Africa with his partner Danielle Nierenberg BorderJumpers.org, meeting with farmers, community organizers, labor activists/leaders, non-governmental organization (NGOs), the funding and donor communities, and others.
His travel writing from Africa has recently been featured in the Montreal Gazette, the NC News Observer, the Omaha World-Herald, and the Des Moines Register.
He holds an M.A. in Political Management from The George Washington University School of Political Management and a B.A. from the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
