Finely pounded cassava leaves slow-cooked in a rich groundnut sauce until meltingly tender, a beloved dish in northern and western Zambia.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Instructions
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1
Pound fresh cassava leaves in a mortar until very finely ground, or use pre-ground frozen cassava leaves.
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2
Boil pounded leaves in salted water for twenty minutes to remove bitterness and soften them completely.
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3
In a separate pot, sauté onion and tomatoes for five minutes until soft.
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4
Add the boiled cassava leaves and stir in groundnut paste, mixing until fully incorporated.
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5
Add chili flakes and simmer for twenty minutes on low heat, stirring regularly to prevent burning.
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6
The finished dish should be thick, rich, and dark green. Serve hot with nshima.
Did You Know?
Cassava leaves must be thoroughly cooked to neutralize naturally occurring cyanogenic compounds, which is why traditional recipes call for extended cooking times.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- mortar and pestle
- heavy pot
- wooden spoon
Garnishing
ground peanuts
Accompaniments
The Story Behind Katapa
Katapa reflects the importance of cassava in Zambian food culture, introduced from South America via Portuguese traders but fully adopted into indigenous cooking traditions. Zambian cooks developed the technique of pounding and long-cooking cassava leaves, transforming a potentially toxic plant into a nutritious staple. The marriage of cassava leaves with groundnuts represents a meeting of New World and African ingredients that has become wholly Zambian.
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