Dorah's Dinner: Okra is ok

Continuing her culinary tour of southern Africa, Dorah Sitole is intrigued by Zambian traditions

When I visited Zambia, I stayed at the Lilayi Lodge in Lusaka, where then executive chef, South African Lee Wilson, had fallen so in love with the country's food and culture that he'd made it his business to learn everything about the local cuisine. He and his lovely sous-chef Doreen Mwale spent the day showing me how to make the intricate dishes enjoyed by Zambians at home: nshima (the Zambian equivalent of pap), delele (okra stew), lumunda (okra in peanut sauce), futari (a lovely sweet-potato bake) and a dish that I found quite exotic - impwa - made with baby brinjals. Even more interesting was a recipe Wilson referred to as the Zambian terrine - chikanda, a wild tuber cooked to a meat-like consistency. Apparently it is only cooked by old women and eaten only by men. Because I was a guest, I was allowed to taste it. It is accompanied by a home-made beer called kachasu, which I did not try.

I was excited to experience new flavours and ingredients, especially okra, which I had seen in our veggie stores but had never been brave enough to try. Okra, also referred to as ladies' fingers, is widely used in African cooking. The best okra is the small, firm variety - avoid the large ones. When cooked, okra becomes slimy, apparently a sign of freshness. During cooking it forms a thick foam that can be skimmed off. I really enjoy it served with pap. The other popular Zambian vegetable is sweet potato, boiled and eaten plain or baked in a peanut sauce. Zambians also use the sweet-potato leaves to make a delicious side dish called kalembula.

DELELE (okra stew)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

500ml (2 cups) water

5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda, optional

750g okra, sliced

1 onion, finely chopped

3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

In a large saucepan, bring the water to the boil and add the bicarbonate of soda. When dissolved, add the okra and cook for 5 minutes. Add the onion and tomatoes, season and simmer over gentle heat for 20 minutes, occasionally skimming off the foam. Serve over nshima (pap) with futari.

FUTARI (baked sweet potatoes)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

750ml (3 cups) water

Salt

1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Peanut sauce:

300g (2 cups) ground peanuts

250ml (1 cup) water

Method:

In a large saucepan, bring the water to the boil, add salt and cook the sweet potatoes until just soft. Drain and arrange in a baking dish. For the sauce, mix the ground peanuts with the water. Pour over the sweet potatoes and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.