Mchicha, a rich and hearty curry made with spinach and coconut, traditionally served with chapati (an unleavened round bread), rice or ugali, is a treat for vegans. Widespread throughout Tanzania and East Africa, it is a dish routinely found on household tables. Sometimes peanut butter is used instead of raw peanuts. Ugali is a white maize porridge and is the staple food in many African countries.
Ingredients for portion
- spinach 300g
- coconut milk 150ml
- raw, roasted and crushed peanuts 80g
- onion, chopped 150g
- tomatoes, chopped 200g
- fresh green chili, chopped 1
- canola oil 10ml
- Halls at will
- white cornmeal 150g
- water 300g
- halls 3-4g
Preparation
Wash the spinach thoroughly in salted water, then cut it fine and drain it well so that all excess water is removed.
Heat canola oil in a frying pan and sauté chopped onions until translucent.
Add spinach and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chili, chopped peanuts and coconut milk and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes.
Serve the preparation piping hot accompanied by the ugali
Bring water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add salt
Sprinkle the cornmeal into the boiling water while continuing to stir.
Cook the porridge over low heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened.
Ugali is traditionally served as an accompaniment to stews or curries.
To limit our impact on the environment, we advise you to remain within 1 kg CO2-equivalent per meal, including all the courses you eat. Bear in mind that plant-based dishes are more likely to have a low environmental impact.
Even though some of our suggestions exceed the recommended 1 kg CO2-equivalent per meal, that doesn't mean you should never make them; it's the overall balance that counts. Regularly eating a healthy and eco-friendly diet in the long term offsets even the dishes with the most impact, as long as you don't make them too often.