Whilst it is true that the pulses play a multipurpose in the lives of people, there is also the need to share how AFRICAN rural women prepare different dishes for their families. I am sharing some recipes for one of the common pulse crop which is the cowpea (nyemba ) in our national language in Zimbabwe. These recipes can be utilized by both communal and urban women.
COWPEA PASTE (RUPIZA)
INGREDIENTS
3 CUPS OF COWPEAS
PEANUT BUTTER
SALT WATER
METHOD
Clean the cowpeas and roast them in a hot pan on low heat
Remove the hulls by grinding the seeds on a grinding stone and winnowing
Crush the DE hulled seed on a grinding stone until broken into very small particles
Boil the ground cowpeas until cooked
Add salt to taste
Using a wooden stick stir the cowpeas until a fine paste is formed
Add a little water and peanut butter
Leave the paste to simmer for 5-10 minutes
Serve with potatoes, rice and here in Zimbabwe it is usually served with (sadza ) which is our staple food.
COWPEA and POTATO SOUP
INGREDIENTS
2 CUPS COWPEAS
500g POTATOES
4 MEDIUM SIZE RIPE TOMATOES
2 GREEN PEPPERS
1 MEDIUM ONION
VEGETABLE OIL
1 TEASPOON SALT
METHOD
Clean the cowpeas and cook until soft
Peel and wash potatoes
Put the potatoes into the cowpeas
Cook together until the potatoes are soft
Cut the pepper. Onion and tomatoes and add to the mixture
Add salt, cooking oil and cook for about 15minutes on low heat
Serve as a starter like that or with little bit of rice
Elizabeth Mpofu