Chomolia (African kale) in Peanut Sauce, served with Uphuthu

A recipe by Nompumelelo Mqwebu, South Africa

About Chef Nompumelelo Mqwebu

Founder of the Mzansi International Culinary Festival (MICF) and Chef owner of Africa Meets Europe Cuisine, Nompumelelo Mqwebu is an enterprising chef who has travelled the world honing her skills. Locally and internationally trained, she has focused her energies in promoting

and advocating for the elevation of authentic African cuisine with indigenous ingredients. Her debut cookbook ‘Through the Eyes of an African Chef’ is the South African winner of the ‘First Book’ and ‘Self Published’ categories in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Chef Nompumelelo and her business partners have recently brought the cookbook to life through Kumyoli Culinary Experiences where guests travel South Africa on a plate at their new home Dunkeld Manor in Parktown North. All produce is strictly from local farmers; focused on Mme Refiloe Molefe of Bambanani gardens and other women from the region. The menus are seasonal and on availability only.

What inspires you to eat less meat?

For me eating vegetarian is just going back to how things were in the days of old. African people come from a generation of nomads and hunter gatherers. The relationship between people and animals was mostly sacred. Eating meat was never to waste and mainly for special occasions, from cultural ceremonies to feeding a stranger who was going by — as you would expect they had not had protein in a while. I also believe if we eat less meat we would not need to slaughter so many animals to feed masses, which will lead to sustainable ways of caring for our whole food system.

Chomolia (African kale) in peanut sauce, served with uphuthu
Serves 6–8
Preparation & Cooking time: 40–55 mins

Ingredients

African kale is like normal kale and is a perennial most prominent in Zimbabwe and Zambia, but it is grown in various provinces of South Africa, too.

For the tomato and onion relish:
2 medium tomatoes
1 medium onion

For the peanut sauce:
20g ground peanuts
10ml peanut oil
5ml honey (optional)
Salt for seasoning

For uphuthu:
21⁄2 cups maize meal (alternatives: polenta or couscous)
1 cup water, with pinch of salt

For the chomolia:
250g chomolia (African kale)
15ml cooking oil
60ml tomato purée
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
1 small bunch spring onions, chopped
1⁄2 small green pepper, diced

Seasoning
Salt and black pepper
Small knob of butter

Garnish
Coriander flowers

Method

For the peanut sauce: In a small pan, heat the ground peanuts for 1 minute, then remove from heat and pour into blender. Add peanut oil, salt and honey (optional). Blend until thick but runny. Taste the seasoning, adding more oil if necessary (depending on the natural oil and moisture in the peanuts).

For uphuthu: On the stove bring 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the heat then pour 2 cups of maize meal into the centre of the pot. Close with lid for 2–3 minutes. Remove the lid and, using a fork, stir vigorously until the maize is coarse, like couscous. If it’s a bit wet, add the remaining maize meal, or not, depending on how moist you like uphuthu. Close lid and cook on low heat for 15–20 minutes. The crust may go golden at the bottom. That’s fine.

For the chomolia: To slice chomolia, fold each leaf in half, then cut stems and keep them aside. Slice the stems into slivers and use them, too. Working with batches of several leaves at a time, roll them up like cigars to consolidate them for easy chopping. Chop chomolia. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot, then add onion and garlic. Stir, then add the green pepper and spring onion. When the pepper and onion are soft, add the chopped chomolia and tomato purée and simmer for 10 minutes (chomolia needs a bit of time to soften). Pour in the peanut sauce and mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust according to your taste (a little goes a long way). Cook for another 5 minutes and remove from heat.

To serve

Take half or less of the butter (or plant-based alternative), rub inside a ramekin (or tea cup), then spoon in the phuthu while pressing it down as you fill the ramekin to the brim. Quickly turn the ramekin on to a plate and unmould the phuthu. Using a dessert spoon, shape and place the chomolia on to the phuthu — gently does it as you want a perfect tower! Using your artistic hand, place the tomato and onion relish around the plate and finally adorn the top with the coriander flowers or rosemary flowers.

For more about Chef Nompumelelo Mqwebu, follow & connect with her on:
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