Southern Africa · Side
Ombidi (Wild Spinach Relish)
Tender sun-dried African wild greens braised with sweet tomatoes, pungent onions, and rich marula oil into a savoury, nutrient-dense side relish.
The story
Ombidi is the quintessential vegetable relish of the Owambo culinary tradition, prepared from Cleome gynandra (African spider flower leaves) harvested abundantly during the summer rains. To preserve the harvest through dry winter spells, women blanch the bitter leaves, mold them into small cakes called ekaka, and sun-dry them on mats. Rehydrated and slowly braised with alliums and rich native oils, Ombidi develops an assertive, pleasantly bitter bite that balances the bland sweetness of stiff pearl millet porridge.
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