🇧🇼 Botswanan Cuisine

Phane

Mopane Worms

Prep Time 1 hour

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Calories 262 kcal

Dried mopane caterpillars rehydrated and fried with onion and tomato until crispy on the outside and tender inside — a protein-rich Botswanan delicacy.

Ingredients

2 cups dried mopane worms
1 large onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp curry powder
Salt to taste
1 green chilli, sliced

Instructions

1 Soak dried mopane worms in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
2 Heat oil in a pan, fry onion until golden.
3 Add tomatoes, curry powder, and chilli. Cook 5 minutes.
4 Add mopane worms, stir well, and fry for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
5 Season with salt and serve.

Did You Know?

Mopane worms contain more protein per gram than beef and are considered a sustainable superfood that has fed southern Africans for millennia.