Make the best sadza! Smooth, delicious, and easy to make, this recipe is great for beginners and experts alike, and perfect for you to serve alongside your favourite relish or dishes!
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what is Sadza?
Sadza is a Shona name that refers to a Zimbabwean porridge-like dish made by cooking maize meal (cornmeal) in hot water, until it forms a stiff, dough-like consistency. Other flours such as sorghum, millet, and cassava flour can be used to make it. It is a staple that is not only popular in Zimbabwe, but in other parts of Africa as well, where it goes by different names such as pap in South Africa, and Nsima in Malawi.
Is Sadza the same as East African ugali?
Technically no. They are similar, but not the same. While both are made by cooking maize meal (mealie meal or cornmeal) in hot water, sadza is different from ugali in that it is prepared differently. It also has a different texture and is way softer than ugali. During my time in Kenya, my Zimbabwean friends and colleagues always complained about how firm ugali is. With sadza, maize meal is first combined with cold water to a paste, which is allowed to come to a boil, then cooked using hot water. Ugali, on the other hand, is prepared directly in the pot, using only hot water. Additionally, East African ugali has a much firmer texture compared to sadza. You can check out how to make ugali here.
ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make sadza. This is a summary, a printable recipe card with the full measurements has been provided at the bottom of this page.
- maize meal - it is okay to use precooked cornmeal, just bear in mind that this will require a shorter amount of time to cook.
- water - you can also use milk, for a creamier taste and a non-traditional approach.
Some recipes tend to include salt or margarine, but these are totally optional. Since we are making our sadza the traditional way, you will not require these optional ingredients for this recipe.
how to make sadza or pap
Here is a step-by-step summary of how to make sadza. See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page for the detailed steps.
In a bowl or in the pot, combine maize meal with room temperature water to form a paste.
Transfer the mealie meal paste to a pot, then allow it to come to a boil. While stirring, slowly and carefully add hot water.
Reduce the heat to a medium-low, cover the pot, and allow it to simmer for some minutes.
Once the porridge has cooked, add in the maize meal, a little at a time, while stirring to prevent lumps. Continue with the process until you get the desired consistency, cover, and allow to cook for a few more minutes. Once cooked, scoop out portions of sadza to a plate. Serve hot, with your favourite relish.
serving suggestions
Here are my favourite ways to serve sadza, but don't let this limit you!
- Kapenta.
- Chicken, fish, or beef stew.
- Stewed oxtail.
- Barbecued dishes.
- Vegetables (commonly known as greens, such as pumpkin leaves (muboora), mustard greens, or cabbage, just to mention a few examples).
- Mazondo (cow foot).
how to eat it
Wondering how to eat sadza? Just like with ugali, fufu, or any type of African ''swallow'' dish, sadza is eaten with the hands. Pinch out a small piece, roll it using your fingers and the palm of your hands to a small ball, make a small hole in the middle and use it to scoop the side dish you are eating it with.
refrigeration and freezing
Cooked sadza can be kept in the fridge for 3- 5 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months.
useful tips
- Super refined or precooked mealie meal requires a shorter time to cook, so reduce the cooking time by half if using the precooked varieties.
- For food safety, be careful when cooking, as sadza tends to splutter out during the boiling stage.
- If you notice that the porridge seems too thin during the boiling stage before you start adding maize meal, simply make a little slurry in a small cup, comprising a few tablespoons of maize meal and hot water, and stir it in. If too thick then add some more hot water.
- Always add your maize meal, a little at a time, while continuously stirring, to avoid getting lumps.
frequently asked questions
The answer is no, it does not contain gluten. It has cornmeal and water as the only ingredients, both of which are gluten-free.
Based on a 2000-calorie diet, and made using mealie meal, 1 cup of sadza provides 340 calories; 3.4g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 7.6g protein, 34mg Sodium, 0.6g sugars, 72g total carbohydrates, and 6.9g of dietary fiber. You can make more dietary nutritional calculations here.
more delicious African recipes to try!
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📖 Recipe
Sadza Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup maize meal (also known as maize flour, mealie meal or cornmeal)
- 1½ cups cold/room temperature water
- 2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Add ½ cup maize meal to a bowl. Mix it with 1½ cups of cold / room temperature water, to form a smooth, runny paste.
- Transfer the contents from the bowl to a small pot and set it on the stove at high heat. Keep stirring until it starts boiling. Next, slowly add the hot water, stirring continuously to prevent the sadza from forming lumps.
- Keep stirring until it starts to bubble. Cautiously cover the pot, reduce the heat to a medium-low, and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. The consistency should resemble porridge at this point. If it is too thin, simply make a little slurry in a small cup, comprising a few tablespoons of maize meal and hot water, similar to the first step above, and stir it in. If too thick then add some more hot water.
- Stir in the maize meal, a little at a time, making sure it is well mixed in, before adding some more. This helps prevent lumps. The sadza will continue thickening as it cooks.
- Continue stirring, for about 5 minutes. This is very important as it helps give the sadza a smooth texture. Cover, and allow it to cook on low for a further 15 minutes. Once this time is over, uncover the pot and stir again for 1-2 minutes.
- Once cooked, use your wooden spoon to gather the sadza into one mass. Use your wooden spoon to form it into round balls, on a plate. Shape as preferred, and serve it hot, with some beef stew, kapenta, or your favourite relish.
Notes
- Super refined or precooked mealie meal requires a shorter time to cook, so reduce the cooking time by half if using the precooked varieties.
- For food safety, be careful when cooking, as sadza tends to splutter out during the boiling stage.
- If you notice that the porridge seems too thin during the boiling stage before you start adding maize meal, simply make a little slurry in a small cup, comprising a few tablespoons of maize meal and hot water, and stir it in. If too thick then add some more hot water.
- Always add your maize meal, a little at a time, while continuously stirring, to avoid getting lumps.
Farah
So interesting! I love unique recipes like this, thanks for teaching us a new thing! Can't wait to try it out!
Kate Hahnel
Always a pleasure, let me know how you like it.
Holley
I love trying new dishes and especially gluten free! I love this recipe and it goes with so many things!
Kate Hahnel
That is so true! It can be served with just about anything, due to it's neutral taste.
cam
It looks amazing and so easy to make! I love that it only takes a few ingredients. I can't wait to try this!
Biana
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have never tried sadza, and it looks delicious - should be great, served with some beef stew.
Kate Hahnel
Thank you!
Rebekah
Thank you for this recipe! My husband is Zimbabwean and I’ve always wanted to make sadza for him but haven’t known where to start. I made this tonight and it was so easy to follow and tasted just like I’ve had from his family!
Kate Hahnel
Thank you so much! So glad you loved this sadza recipe!
Caitlin
This is a really delicious recipe, loved it with some homemade beef stew!
Kate Hahnel
Beef stew is also one of my favourite ways to enjoy sadza!