Sadza Recipe

Learn how to make Zimbabwe's most popular dish, sadza (pap)! Delicious and easy to make, it is perfect to serve alongside your favourite dishes!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine African, Zimbabwean

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 211kcal

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.

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.