🇸🇿 Eswatini Cuisine

Sidvudvu

Fermented Mealie Meal Porridge

Prep Time 30 min + overnight
Servings 4
Difficulty Easy
Calories 274 kcal

A tangy fermented maize porridge that is a breakfast staple across Eswatini, prepared by soaking ground maize overnight and cooking it slowly until thick and creamy.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Mix maize meal with four cups of water in a large bowl. Cover and leave overnight to ferment at room temperature.
  2. 2 Strain the fermented mixture through a fine strainer, reserving the sour liquid and discarding any coarse bits.
  3. 3 Bring three cups of fresh water to a boil in a large pot. Slowly pour in the fermented maize liquid while stirring continuously.
  4. 4 Reduce heat to low and cook for twenty minutes, stirring frequently to prevent lumps from forming on the bottom.
  5. 5 The porridge is ready when it reaches a smooth, thick consistency and the raw taste of the maize has cooked out completely.

Did You Know?

Sidvudvu is considered a natural probiotic food in Eswatini, and grandmothers believe it strengthens the stomach of young children.