Kizaca (Cassava Leaf and Peanut Stew) is a traditional Angolan recipe for a classic stew of cassava greens, dried fish and peanuts. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Angolan version of: Cassava Leaf and Peanut Stew (Kizaca).
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Kizaca, sometimes spelled quizaca or kisaca, is one of the most popular vegetarian dishes in Angola. Although it is nowadays regarded as the national dish of the country, kizaka has an interesting historical background. For centuries, Angola was a Portuguese colony, and kizaka, like most Angolan dishes, is a combination of European influences and authentic African ingredients; in this case, the European influence comes in the form of the Cassava, which the Portuguese brought from Brazil to Africa. This is considered amongst Angola's national dishes.
Ingredients:
400g pounded cassava leaves (first shredded and then pounded in a mortar)
1 dried fish soaked and shredded (optional)
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper coarsely chopped
1 medium aubergine, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 tbsp of ground peanuts optional
120ml of red palm oil
1.125l of water
1 Maggi Stock cube
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
thumbnail-sized piece of ginger, crushed
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
crushed peanuts, to garnish
Method:
Soak the dried fish in warm water, cover and set aside.
Bring 1l of water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the shredded and pounded cassava leaves, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle boil, cover the pan and keep cooking for 30 minutes.
Combine the onions, green bell pepper, aubergine, garlic and ginger in a food processor. Pulse to chop, add a little of the red palm oil and process until smooth.
Stir the purée into the cassava leaves along with the Maggi cube. Return to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
Mix the peanut powder with a little water to form a smooth paste.
Break the soaked dried fish into pieces, and removing any bones to find. Wash well to remove any grit.
Once the cassava leaves are soft add the dried fish and peanut paste and red oil to the pan.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes more. Stir in the crushed peanuts near the end.
Turn into a warmed serving dish and accompany with boiled rice and boiled cassava.
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