Malagasy Recipes

Rice is the center of every Malagasy meal. Vary, the rice, is served in generous mounds with a laoka, the sauced, grilled or stewed dish that goes with it. The island's food reflects its settlers and traders: rice growing from Southeast Asia, zebu cattle and cassava from Africa, Indian spices and samosas, French technique and Chinese noodles. Highland cooks favor tomato, onion, ginger and garlic, while coastal cooks reach for coconut milk, vanilla, cloves and seafood. Zebu beef, pork, chicken and freshwater fish are the main proteins, and brèdes, a wide range of leafy greens, appear in romazava, the dish most often called national. Heat is served separately as sakay, a chili, ginger and garlic paste. The crust of rice left at the bottom of the pot is boiled with water to make ranonapango, the everyday drink. Breakfast means rice porridge or mofo gasy, and sweets are simple: banana fritters, peanut cakes steamed in leaves and fresh fruit.

Staple ingredients

• rice
• zebu beef and pork
• leafy greens (brèdes)
• cassava leaves
• ginger and garlic
• tomatoes
• coconut
• sakay chili paste

• Breakfast 1
• Soups 1
• Salads 1
• Main Dishes 4
• Desserts 1
• Drinks 1
• Sauces, Dips and Condiments 1

Breakfast

• Mofo Gasy (Malagasy Rice Flour Breakfast Cakes)MG35 minEasy

Soups

• Vary amin'anana (Malagasy Rice and Greens Porridge)MG1 h 35 minEasy

Salads

• Lasary Voatabia (Malagasy Tomato and Onion Relish)MG15 minEasy

Main Dishes

• Romazava (Malagasy Beef and Greens Stew)MG2 h 10 minEasy
• Akoho sy Voanio (Malagasy Chicken in Coconut Milk)MG1 h 15 minEasy
• Kitoza (Malagasy Marinated Dried Beef Strips)MG2 h 40 minMedium
• Ravitoto (Malagasy Pork with Pounded Cassava Leaves)MG2 h 20 minEasy

Desserts

• Koba Akondro (Malagasy Banana and Peanut Steamed Cake)MG1 h 45 minMedium

Drinks

• Ranonapango (Malagasy Toasted Rice Water)MG50 minEasy

Sauces, Dips and Condiments

• Sakay (Malagasy Chili, Ginger and Garlic Paste)MG15 minEasy