Matapa

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Country of Origin

Mozambique

Description

Matapa is Mozambique's most celebrated dish — a rich, dark green stew made from young cassava leaves ground into a paste, then slow-cooked with crushed peanuts, coconut milk, garlic, and prawns or crab until everything becomes thick, silky, and deeply savory. It is a dish of the coast and the south, rooted in the Tsonga-speaking communities of Inhambane and Maputo, where the cassava plant grows everywhere and the Indian Ocean delivers fresh seafood to the door. The peanuts and coconut milk give Matapa its soul: earthy and rich, with a tropical sweetness that is entirely Mozambican.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Matapa is served warm over a generous pile of white rice or xima (maize porridge). The stew is thick and dark, the prawns or crab pieces visible throughout. It is eaten at celebrations, at family Sunday meals, and whenever a cook wants to honor their guests with something truly special. In Mozambique, Matapa is what home tastes like.

Ingredients

• 400g young cassava leaves (fresh or frozen), finely ground or pounded

• 200g raw prawns, peeled and deveined (or 200g crab meat)

• 1 cup raw peanuts (groundnuts), ground to a coarse paste, or 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter

• 400ml coconut milk

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large white onion, finely diced

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 cup water

• Salt, to taste

• White rice or xima, to serve

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Prepare the Cassava Leaves: If using fresh leaves, remove the stems and pound or blend until finely ground. If using frozen, thaw completely and squeeze out excess water.

2. Cook the Leaves: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ground cassava leaves and stir to coat in the oil. Pour in the water.

3. Simmer: Cook the cassava leaves over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. They must be thoroughly cooked.

4. Add the Peanuts: Stir in the ground peanuts or peanut butter. Mix well until fully incorporated into the leaves.

5. Add Coconut Milk: Pour in the coconut milk and stir. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes, stirring often, until the stew is thick and deeply green.

6. Add the Seafood: Stir in the prawns or crab. Add the diced onion at this stage for a fresher texture. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the prawns are pink and cooked through.

7. Season and Serve: Taste and adjust salt. Serve over white rice or xima.

Optional

Vegetarian Matapa: Omit the seafood and replace with 1 cup of diced firm tofu or extra peanuts. The dish is just as rich and satisfying without the seafood.

Cooking Tips

Cook the Leaves First: Cassava leaves must be cooked for a minimum of 30 minutes before adding any dairy or coconut milk. This is both a safety requirement (to remove naturally occurring toxins) and a culinary one — the leaves need time to fully break down and lose their raw, grassy bitterness before the stew can develop its proper depth.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings)

Calories: ~390 kcal

Total Fat: 28g

Saturated Fat: 14g

Cholesterol: 95mg

Sodium: 370mg

Total Carbohydrates: 20g

Dietary Fiber: 7g

Sugars: 4g

Protein: 20g