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Mopane leaf stew: recipe illustration
Meat

Mopane leaf stew

A rustic stew made with dried mopane tree leaves, typical of northern Namibia, simmered with meat and onion. The leaves give it an earthy, slightly bitter flavour.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Spices & seasoning

On the side

Instructions

  1. Cut the meat into 3 cm cubes and slice the onion into rounds. Rehydrate the mopane leaves in a bowl of lukewarm water for 10 minutes, then drain.
  2. Brown the meat in very hot oil over high heat for 5 minutes, in small batches so it sears properly.
  3. Add the onions and diced tomatoes, let them soften for 5 minutes over medium heat, then stir in the paprika.
  4. Pour in the water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for 50 minutes, stirring from time to time.
  5. Add the drained mopane leaves and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce is well thickened. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

Variations and tips

Using what you can find here. Mopane leaves are rarely found outside southern Africa; dried spinach leaves give a similar result.

More ideas

Original Ecomely recipe.