COPPERSadza recipe
Zimbabwe's maize staple, built in two stages: a thin bota porridge first, then more meal beaten in until the mass is stiff and glossy.
Ingredients
- 250 g white maize meal
- 800 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
How to make Sadza
- Whisk 250 g of white maize meal into 800 ml of cold water in a heavy pot until the slurry is completely lump-free. Starting cold is what prevents lumps.
- Set it over high heat, add 800 ml boiling water and 1 tsp salt, and let it bubble into a thin porridge (bota) for 10 minutes, stirring.
- Sprinkle in 250 g more maize meal a handful at a time, beating hard with a wooden spoon after each addition until it stiffens.
- Lower the heat, cover and steam 10 minutes so the meal actually cooks through. Undercooked sadza tastes raw and chalky.
- Uncover and turn the mass against the side of the pot for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth, glossy and pulls away cleanly.
- Scoop portions with a wet spoon, shape them into rounds and serve hot with a relish such as stewed meat or muriwo greens.
What is Sadza?
Sadza is a traditional dish from Zimbabwe, steamed, and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. It is built around white maize meal. The recipe below uses 3 ingredients and is written out step by step.
How long does Sadza take?
At 30 minutes it is quicker than 97% of the 586 dishes in Copper's atlas. Copper's atlas has 3 dishes built on white maize meal. The method runs to 6 steps, the longest being 10 minutes.
Any tips for making Sadza?
Whisk the first maize meal into cold water until lump-free before it goes on the heat: starting cold is what prevents lumps.
How Sadza compares
At 30 minutes, Sadza is among the 20 quickest of the 586 dishes Copper documents. White maize meal appears in only 2 other dishes in the atlas.
Cooked with the same thing elsewhere
Other traditional dishes built on white maize meal, from other countries.
Copper documents Zimbabwe alongside 197 other countries. Every recipe is free to read, with the full ingredient list and every step.