Mutakura

It has been a while since I updated my blog, my apologies. I am glad to be back though. I just didnt find time to update my blog but was quite busy, I designed two bags and made Mimi G’s pencil skirt. If you follow my facebook page you can see what I did.

Today’s recipe is for mutakura, one of my favourites in colder months with a cup of tea. I do not ever remember actually making it myself but I love it. Mutakura really is a mixture of corn/maize, peanuts, bambara nuts(nyimo), cow peas (nyemba)and sometimes sugar beans.Its an all in one kind of meal that does not involve a lot of tinkering. I am no nutritionist but I think its also good in that it has all the good things that one needs.

When I was doing my A-Levels at Queen Elizabeth High School, I had a classmate ask me one day, “Princess why do you bring such food(referring to my lunch box filled with mutakura)?” I was stunned to say the least at this moment and then she went on to say, “Why don’t you bring bread with spreads like Nutella or something else other than that food?” At this point I did not know what to say because first of all I did not know what Nutella was, I did not have relatives that had gone abroad who could get it for me. I do not even remembered responding to her. One thing I knew was, I brought mutakura to school because I love eating it. I have never really liked bread so I really do  not even care for the spreads that come along with it. I now know what Nutella is by the way, but I have never been bothered to buy it, maybe she put me off it for life.

To be clear I do not for one moment think I am better than anyone who does not like “African” food or think it makes more African because I do. I like to think of myself as a person who enjoys the Zimbabwean cuisine more than any other, some people like Italian some French.

Back to the recipe, here is what you will need:
1 cup of dry maize/corn removed from the cob
1 cup bambara nuts
1 cup peanuts
1 cup cow peas

Be sure to pick out all the stones and shells out of the grains.

Boil the maize/corn in two cups of water at medium heat for about 2 hours, this is meal that takes time can not be hurried.

At this point the husk will look like its about to come off the grain and add the peanuts and add about three cups of water. Let it simmer until the water is just about gone. Add the bambara nuts and cow peas and add three cups of water.

Let it simmer some more, I like for mine to be mushy so when the water is almost evaporated I stir it and add some more water until it looks like below: