Matapa

If using cassava leaves, pound or blend them to a fine paste with a mortar and pestle or food processor. Cassava leaves require thorough cooking to be safe, so they must be finely processed before the cooking begins. Spinach can simply be finely chopped.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion for four minutes until translucent, then add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant without letting it brown or burn.

Add the processed cassava leaves or chopped spinach to the pot with half a cup of water. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for twenty minutes if using cassava leaves, or eight minutes for spinach, stirring occasionally until completely wilted and tender.

Stir the ground peanut paste into the pot, mixing thoroughly to combine with the greens. Pour in the coconut milk and stir until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for fifteen minutes until thickened.

Add the shrimp to the simmering sauce and cook for five to six minutes until they turn pink and curl slightly. Season with salt to taste, being careful not to oversalt since the peanuts and coconut milk already provide natural richness and depth.

Serve the matapa hot in deep bowls over steamed white rice. This traditional Mozambican dish from the southern coast has a creamy, nutty flavour from the peanuts and coconut that perfectly complements the earthy greens and sweet shrimp.