Zambian Recipes

Zambian food revolves around nshima, a thick white maize porridge eaten at lunch and dinner with a relish, often called umunani or ndiwo. The relish might be greens, beans, chicken, beef, fish or insects. Greens are very important: pumpkin leaves (chibwabwa), cassava leaves and others are cooked with tomato and onion, or with ground peanuts in ifisashi. Kapenta, tiny sardine-like fish from the lakes, are sold dried or fresh and fried with onion and tomato. In the north, millet porridge and cassava are also staples, and groundnuts are everywhere, from sauces to snacks. Free-range village chicken is cooked for guests. Food is eaten by hand, usually the right, from a shared plate. Drinks include fermented, non-alcoholic maize and millet drinks such as maheu, thobwa and munkoyo, while fritters called vitumbuwa and roasted cassava with groundnuts are common street snacks.

Staple ingredients

• maize meal (nshima)
• leafy greens
• groundnuts
• kapenta (small dried fish)
• cassava
• beans
• village chicken
• millet

• Main Dishes 3
• Side Dishes 1
• Snacks 1
• Drinks 1

Main Dishes

• Ifisashi (Zambian Greens in Peanut Sauce) with NshimaZM1 h 10 minMedium
• Kapenta with Tomato and Onion (Zambian Fried Kapenta)ZM45 minEasy
• Zambian Village Chicken Stew with Tomato and OnionZM1 h 55 minEasy

Side Dishes

• Chibwabwa (Zambian Pumpkin Leaves with Tomato and Onion)ZM45 minEasy

Snacks

• Tute ne Mbalala (Zambian Roasted Cassava and Groundnuts)ZM1 h 15 minEasy

Drinks

• Maheu (Zambian Fermented Maize Drink)ZM30 minEasy