🇧🇼 Botswanan Cuisine

Matlebekwane

Melon Seed Paste

Prep Time 45 min
Servings 4
Difficulty Medium
Calories 206 kcal

A traditional paste made from ground wild melon seeds, cooked into a thick, nutty porridge or used as a rich flavouring for vegetables.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Dry roast melon seeds in a pan until lightly toasted.
  2. 2 Pound in a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste.
  3. 3 Heat oil, sauté onion briefly. Add pounded seeds and water.
  4. 4 Stir over low heat until it forms a thick paste, about 15 minutes.
  5. 5 Season with salt. Serve as a side or stir into morogo.

Did You Know?

Wild melon seeds were one of the most important gathered foods in the Kalahari, providing essential fats and protein where few other sources existed.