Southern Africa
Mozambique
Peri-peri prawns, coconut matapa and Indian Ocean spice routes.
Staples
- Xima (stiff white maize flour porridge)
- Mandioca (cassava tubers and pounded tender leaves)
- Arroz de coco (long-grain rice simmered in coconut milk)
- Castanha de caju (ground raw cashew nuts used as stew thickeners)
- Mapira (pearl millet and sorghum grown in dry interior regions)
Seasonings
- Molho piri-piri (crushed African bird's eye chilies with lemon juice and oil)
- Leite de coco fresco (freshly grated and pressed coconut milk)
- Azeite de palma (unrefined red palm oil used in the north)
- Amendoim pilado (finely pounded raw peanut flour)
- Alho e sal marinho (pounded garlic and coarse sea salt rub)
Techniques
- Simmering cassava leaves in pressed coconut milk
- Pounding greens using a heavy wooden pilão
- Grilling seafood over glowing mangrove wood charcoal
- Marinating spatchcocked chicken in fiery piri-piri
At the table
Daily cooking is typically managed by women over charcoal fogareiros, yielding communal platters centered on stiff xima or coconut rice accompanied by clay bowls of matapa or grilled peri-peri fish. While northern coastal kitchens in Zambézia and Nampula saturate dishes in fresh coconut cream and seafood, southern plates in Gaza rely more extensively on ground peanuts, beans, and beef offal.
24 recipes across 7 courses
Ask AI for moreBreakfast
Batata-Doce com Amendoim Torrado (Steamed Sweet Potatoes with Crushed Peanuts)
Tender steamed sweet potatoes smothered in coarse, freshly dry-roasted peanuts, sweet cream, and sea salt for a wholesome rural breakfast.
Chilar (Fermented Cassava Flour Breakfast Porridge)
A smooth, tangy Makhuwa fermented cassava porridge sweetened with brown sugar and enriched with fresh coconut milk.
Pão d'Água (Crusty Mozambican Water Bread)
Crisp-crusted, airy water rolls baked with intense steam, essential to Mozambican mornings alongside spiced tea or piri-piri beef.
Soup
Sopa de Feijão Nhemba (Cowpea and Greens Soup)
A hearty, comforting Mozambican soup featuring earthy cowpeas, diced orange sweet potatoes, and tender simmered greens in a light garlic broth.
Sopa de Marisco (Coastal Seafood and Coconut Broth)
A fragrant coastal broth brimming with fresh prawns, calamari, and clams in a spiced tomato-coconut nectar infused with bay and piri-piri.
Main
Caril de Amendoim (Ground Peanut Stew with Meat or Greens)
Tender braised beef simmered in a velvety, deeply savory sauce of freshly pounded raw peanuts, fresh coconut milk, and tender cassava leaves.
Caril de Caranguejo (Coastal Mangrove Crab Coconut Curry)
Succulent mangrove crabs simmered in a fragrant coconut gravy spiked with garlic, piri-piri, and ground cumin.
Chacuti de Cabrito (Slow-Braised Goat Xacuti Curry)
Tender bone-in goat simmered in a deeply roasted coconut, poppy seed, and fragrant Portuguese-Goan spice paste until thick and aromatic.
Frango à Zambeziana (Zambezian Coconut-Marinated Grilled Chicken)
Tender chargrilled chicken bathed in rich coconut milk, fiery peri-peri, and zesty lime, delivering an iconic Mozambican flavor profile.
Galinha Cafreal (Spicy Spatchcocked Grilled Chicken Cafreal)
Spatchcocked chicken charred over hardwood coals with a fragrant, pungent paste of green chilies, garlic, ginger, and fresh herbs.
Matapa de Camarão (Cassava Leaf Stew with Coconut, Peanuts & Prawns)
Tender pounded cassava leaves simmered in fresh coconut milk with ground raw peanuts, garlic, and sweet coastal prawns.
Peixe Grelhado à Moçambicana (Charcoal-Grilled Fish in Piri-Piri Coconut Butter)
Whole charcoal-blistered sea fish basted continuously with a fiery emulsion of fresh red piri-piri, garlic, and coconut butter.
Side
Kakana (Bitter Melon Leaves Stewed with Peanut Sauce)
Tender bitter kakana greens simmered gently in a rich, creamy sauce of freshly pounded raw groundnuts and coconut milk.
Molho de Piripíri (Mozambican Hot Chili and Garlic Sauce)
A fiery, emulsified Mozambican table sauce balanced with red peri-peri chilies, garlic, lemon juice, whisky, and hot infused oil.
Mtsunyo (Sun-Dried Salty Fish and Tomato Relish)
Savory sun-dried freshwater fish softened and simmered with charred tomatoes, fiery piri-piri, and pungent garlic to crown steaming hot xima.
Mucapata (Mung Bean and Rice Coconut Mash)
A velvety, fragrant Zambezian mash of short-grain rice and split mung beans simmered gently in rich, fresh coconut milk.
Xima (Stiff White Maize Porridge)
The essential, pristine white Mozambican maize porridge, beaten to a smooth and dense consistency to scoop up flavorful local sauces and stews.
Dessert
Bolo Polana (Potato and Cashew Nut Cake)
A dense, naturally gluten-free Mozambican torte combining silky mashed potatoes, roasted cashews, and citrus.
Doces de Castanha de Caju (Caramelized Mozambican Spiced Cashews)
Crunchy raw cashews roasted and glazed in a sticky, aromatic syrup of dark cane sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a sharp touch of sea salt.
Pudim de Mandioca (Baked Fresh Cassava and Coconut Custard)
Dense, chewy, and aromatic Mozambican holiday custard made from freshly grated sweet cassava and coconut milk baked under a dark caramel glaze.
Drink
Mageu (Fermented Maize and Flour Beverage)
A smooth, refreshing fermented white corn and wheat beverage naturally soured to provide sustained energy.
Sura (Freshly Tapped Wild Palm Wine)
Crisp, sweet, and lightly effervescent wild palm wine infused with crushed ginger, fresh lime peel, and aromatic botanical aromatics.
Street food
Badjias (Spiced Black-Eyed Pea Fritters)
Golden and crisp Mozambican spiced black-eyed pea fritters with a fluffy interior, seasoned with fragrant garlic, cumin, and fiery chilies.
Chamussas de Carne (Mozambican Spiced Beef Samosas)
Crisp, wafer-thin triangular pastries filled with dry-cooked aromatic spiced minced beef, spiked with fresh ginger, garlic, and fiery piri-piri.