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Malakwang
Sour greens in peanut paste
Malakwang: Acholi sour roselle leaves cooked in a creamy peanut paste
Gulu and the villages of Acholiland wait for the rains, when malakwang, the tart young leaves of the roselle hibiscus, come into the markets in big bundles. Simmered down with onion and tomato and finished with roasted peanut or sesame paste, they make a thick, dark green, sharply sour and richly nutty sauce that tastes of lemon and cream at once. It is eaten with boiled sweet potatoes, cassava or millet bread at a family meal. Look for fresh or frozen roselle leaves at African grocers, or the same leaf sold as gongura or sorrel leaves in Indian shops; spinach with lime juice is a fallback. Chef's tip: let the leaves collapse fully before the paste goes in, otherwise their sourness stays raw and harsh.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz roselle leavesmalakwang or gongura, stems removed, shop-bought fresh or frozen; or 400 g spinach plus the juice of 1 lime
- 1 onionchopped
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 4 oz peanut buttersmooth, unsweetened; or roasted sesame paste
- 1 tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wash 14 oz roselle leaves well in several changes of water and chop them roughly.
Step 3: Lower the heat and simmer, stirring now and then, until the leaves have turned olive green and collapsed into a soft, almost mushy mass.
15 minStep 4: Mix 4 oz peanut butter with the rest of ½ cup water into a smooth, pourable cream.
Step 5: Stir the peanut cream into the greens with 1 tsp salt and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick, glossy and a little oil appears at the edges.
12 minStep 6: Taste: it should be sour, nutty and well salted. Serve hot with boiled sweet potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does malakwang take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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