This was a difficult country, mostly because many of the dishes that I wanted to make were actually Portuguese. I wanted to at least try to stick to food that was really from Mozambique, or Portuguese dishes that had been adapted enough that they were different from the original versions. Such dishes proved challenging to find, so I only made a few things this week.
Mozambique is located in southeast Africa, with a coastline on the Indian Ocean. Bantu-speaking people are the first known to live in the area; they arrived as early as the 4th century BC and established farming communities.
The Swahili people developed port towns in the region between the 7th and 11th centuries. These towns were often visited by traders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, and India.
In 1498, the Portuguese arrived and soon after began to gradually colonize and settle the area. They ruled for over four centuries, until 1975 when Mozambique became independent.
A lengthy civil war quickly followed, lasting until 1992. Two years later, Mozambique held its first multiparty elections and has been relatively stable ever since.
Mozambique is rich in natural resources, with an economy based mainly on fishery and agriculture. However, it is one of the poorest and most undeveloped countries in the world
What do People Eat in Mozambique?
Mozambican cuisine still displays traditional dishes, though there is also a strong Portuguese influence. Many of the dishes I came across when researching what to make this week were really just Portuguese dishes that are popular in Mozambique.
Native ingredients are prominent at most meals, such as maize, cassava, and a wide variety of leafy greens. The most common staple food is a thick porridge made from maize/corn flour, which is typically consumed with sauces made from vegetables, meat, beans, or fish. Other staples include cassava and rice.
What I Made
- Matata (Seafood and Greens Stew)
- Caril de Camarão (Shrimp Curry)
- Chamussas (Savory Pastries)
- Frango à Zambeziana (Spicy Chicken with Coconut Milk)
Scroll down to read about other popular Mozambican dishes I didn’t make!
Matata (Seafood and Greens Stew)
Matata is a stew made from pumpkin leaves, peanuts, and seafood. Clams are popular in Mozambique, but I went with shrimp, and I used kale since pumpkin leaves aren’t easy to get around here.
I started by sautéing some chopped onion in oil. After a few minutes, I added chili flakes, salt, pepper, and chopped kale. Once the kale was soft, I added shrimp, coconut milk, and some peanuts I’d ground up in my spice grinder.
The dish was ready a few minutes later, once my shrimp were cooked through. I thought this dish was surprisingly delicious; it was something I’d been unsure about. I’d make this again!
The recipe I used is from Eat Out. I used kale instead of baby spinach so I changed the order of ingredients to give the kale time to soften.
Caril de Camarão (Shrimp Curry)
Mozambique has a range of delicious-sounding curry dishes; I decided to make this shrimp curry.
First, I used my food processor to make a spice paste out of onion, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. I cooked it in oil for a few minutes, then added tomatoes and red and green bell peppers. A few minutes later, I poured in some coconut milk and let the curry simmer for about 15 minutes.
I added the shrimp and once they were cooked through, I finished the curry with some lemon juice.
I served my curry with rice, garnished with fresh cilantro. I really loved this dish, as did my father-in-law who was over for dinner that night. This is another one I would make again! I thought this was a great combination of flavors.
The recipe I used is from The Afrikan Store. I did omit the eggplant as I am not a fan.
Chamussas (Savory Pastries)
Chamussas are the Mozambican version of a samosa, made by filling thin pastry with a variety of fillings. One of the most common is mashed potato mixed with vegetables and meat, and that is what I made.
I cheated here and used storebought phyllo pastry for my chamussas, as I had it left over in the freezer from making my pastilla for Morocco. It seemed close to the right kind of pastry, and in fact some recipes I found online called for it.
First, I cut a potato into chunks and boiled it until tender.
Meanwhile, I sautéed onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. I also added an approximation of the Xawaash spice mix called for in the recipe—I used cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cloves, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
Next, I added finely chopped chicken thighs. Once they were cooked through, I added the cooked and drained potato and stirred. The recipe said the mixture should be like a rough mash so I made sure to mash the potato as I stirred.
Once the filling had cooled a bit, I cut strips of phyllo and wrapped them around the filling to make my chamussas. I baked them in the oven rather than deep-frying them and I think that worked pretty well. I did brush them with ghee first, which I think helped ensure they got crispy.
I really liked these; the filling especially was delicious due to the combination of spices. I had left over filling but it was so good on its own that I didn’t mind.
I found this recipe on Splendid Table, but it originally came from the book Bibi’s Kitchen by Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen.
Frango à Zambeziana (Spicy Chicken with Coconut Milk)
This chicken dish has some similarities to Nando’s chicken—it’s flavored with chili and lemon and grilled. It’s a common way to prepare chicken in Mozambique and in other places with Portuguese influence. However, this version also includes coconut milk.
First, I marinated bone-in chicken thighs with lemon juice, coconut milk, garlic, chili flakes, and salt. After a couple of hours, I cooked it on the stove, basting often with the reserved marinade. I cooked the rest of the marinade until it thickened slightly and served it as a sauce over the chicken.
Rice is a common accompaniment here. The recipe called for making coconut rice but I stuck with regular rice.
For such a simple dish, this tasted really good, and it was easy too. This is another dish I would probably make again.
The recipe I used is from Two Dads and a Kid. It calls for a whole chicken but I used thighs since I was making less.
Other Popular Mozambican Dishes
- Xima – a plain porridge made from corn flour, served at most meals, usually with a vegetable and/or meat sauce.
- Bolo polana – a traditional cake made from mashed potatoes and ground cashew nuts. It is often flavored with vanilla and citrus.
Final Thoughts
This was another great week; I enjoyed the food from Mozambique. My favorite was the caril de camarão.
Next week, I will be cooking food from Myanmar.