Sadza con pollo o Estofado Nyama
Sadza le Nyama ye Nkukhu
Introducción
Sadza le Nyama («Sadza y Estofado de carne”) o simplemente Sadza es el alimento básico para la mayoría de los indígenas de Zimbaue. Es una receta con dos partes: una es el Sadza y otra el acompañamiento, que puede ser estofado de carne o verduras. Sadza es el término usado para gachas de cereales. El más común es el de maíz. Aunque el maíz es importado en Zimbabue, el Sadza es para los zimbabuenses como el arroz para los chinos o la pasta para los italianos.
Ingredientes para el estofado de pollo: (5 personas)
1. 1 kg. de pechugas de pollo deshuesadas
2. 2 kg. de tomates rojos muy maduros
3. 1 manojo de espinacas o verduras (como se prefiera)
4. 2 cebollas medianas
5. raíz de jengibre (opcional)
6. pimiento rojo
7. pimienta negro
8. chile en polvo
9. hojas de ajo y perejil
10. sal
11. de aceite de oliva
Ingredientes Sadza: (5 personas)
Harina de maíz- En varios sitios del mundo es Polenta de Harina de maíz blanco. El mejor sustituto es la harina de maíz.
Accesorios
1. olla grande
2. sartén mediana / grande
3. uphini (Ndebele) – una cuchara de Madera para remover el sadza.
4. varios contenedores / cazos
Preparando los ingredientes
1. Corta dos cebollas en pequeños trozos y colócalos en un recipiente hermético.
2. Corta los tomates en cuatro y ponlos en un recipiente grande.
3. Pela y corta el jengibre y deposítalo en un recipiente.
4. Corta el pollo en cubos.
5. Corta las verduras o espinacas y deposítalas en un recipiente hermético.
Preparando la salsa
1. Cubre el fondo de la olla con aceite de oliva a fuego medio-alto.
2. Cuando el aceite esté caliente, fríe el jengibre durante medio minuto.
3. Añade las cebollas.
4. Espolvorea suficiente polvo de chile para enrojecer las cebollas y el jengibre.
5. Mientras remueves constantemente añade un poco de pimiento rojo y pimienta negra.
6. Añade 1 – 2 cucharaditas de sal y media cucharadita de ajo / perejil.
7. Añade los tomates mientras sigues removiendo durante 10 – 15 minutos.
Machaca los tomates de vez en cuando.
8. Re-espolvorea más polvo chile. Después de 5 minutos baja el fuego. Cocina durante 10 – 20 minutos más removiendo y machacando los tomates si es necesario.
Preparando el pollo
1. Cubre el fondo de la olla con aceite de oliva a medio fuego.
2. Cuando el aceite esté muy caliente, échalo en la sartén. Añade jengibre y fríe durante unos segundos.
3. Ponlo a fuego alto. Añade el pollo en una pila en el centro de la sartén.
4. Deja que las piezas del fondo se cocinen y esparce el resto por la sartén mientras remueves. No dejes que se queme ninguna.
5. Después de un rato, el agua del pollo cubrirá el fondo de la sartén y se cocerá.
6. Continua removiendo y añade chile, pimienta negra, pimiento rojo, sal y hojas de perejil.
8. Mezcla el pollo (cuando desparezca el agua) con la salsa de tomate en la olla y remueve. Déjalo a fuego lento unos 30 minutos, removiendo de vez en cuando.
Cocinando Sadza (Ndebele: «Ukupheka isitshwala»)
1. Antes de empezar, hierve agua en una tetera.
2. Añade 5 tazas de harina de maíz en una olla. Añade agua fría hasta que absorba la harina.
3. Añade un poco más de agua y remueve con una Uphini hasta que se convierta en una masa blanca y ponlo en una olla a medio fuego. Mientras remueves añade agua hirviendo despacio.
4. La textura debe cambiar a suave. Continua añadiendo agua y deja que hierva hasta que tenga movimiento.
6.En este punto, si el sadza está bien hervirá sin necesidad de que lo remuevas. Deja unos 5 minutos más y vigila y remueve hasta que tenga la textura deseada.
7. Dejar reposar unos minutos antes de servir.
Cocinar y servir
Antes de servir, lleva el pollo a ebullición de nuevo. Apaga el fuego completamente y añade cebolletas cortadas. Deja que repose durante 1 minuto. El estofado se sirve en un bol y el sadza en un plato.
Cómo comer Sadza leNyama
El Sadza se come con las manos. Sin embargo la primera vez quizás prefieres comer con cuchara hasta que puedas observar como se come con las manos – ¡es casi un arte!
Sadza with Chicken or Nyama Stew
Sadza le Nyama ye Nkukhu
Introduction
Sadza le Nyama («Sadza and Meat Stew») or simply Sadza is the staple diet for most of Zimbabwe’s indigenous peoples. It is a two part recipe with Sadza on one and the accompanying stew or vegetable relish on the other. Sadza is a generic term used to describe thickened porridge made out of any number of pulverised grains. The most common form of sadza is made with white maize (corn) mealie meal. Despite the fact that maize is actually an imported food crop to Zimbabwe (circa 1890), it has become the chief source of starch and carbohydrate and the most popular meal for indigenous peoples of Zimbabwe. Sadza is to Zimbabweans what rice is to the Chinese or pasta to the Italians.
iNyama or Nyama Nyama is the Ndebele & Ndebele word for meat.
Sadza le Nyama ye Nkukhu
(Sadza with Chicken Stew)
Chicken Stew Ingredients: (5 adults Serving)
1. 2 lbs fresh boneless chicken breast
2. 3 – 3 1/2 lb. of very ripe red tomatoes
3. 1 bunch spinach or green vegetables (or as you wish)
4. 2 medium-size onions
5. ginger root (optional)
6. red pepper
7. black pepper
8. chilli powder
9. garlic or parsley leaves
10. salt
11. olive oil
Sadza Ingredients: (5 adult servings)
Mealie-Meal – In various parts of the world there is «Palenta white maize meal».
Corn Meal seems to work better. If your community has an ethnic food store –
African or Caribbean Food market, chances are they may have white maize corn
meal. Feel free to experiment with the many types of mealie-meal available.
Accessories
1. large sauce-pan
2. medium (8-12″) diameter frying pan
3. uphini (Ndebele) – a sadza stirring wooden spoon made from a hardwood
that does not fray or splinter.
4. various containers
Preparing the Ingredients
1. slice up two onions into small chunks and store in an air-tight air-tight container.
2. cut up all tomatoes into 1/4″ pieces and store in a large container
3. skin and finely cut about 3 ounces of fresh ginger – and store in an air-tight container to maintain freshness
4. cut up the chicken into 1/4-inch cubes
5. cut up 1 bunch of vegetables or spinach into pieces and store in an air-tight container.
Preparing the Sauce.
1. Cover the bottom of a large sauce-pan with olive oil and apply medium to high heat.
2. When the oil is very hot (and thin), stir fry the ginger alone for 1/2-minute.
3. Add the onions and continue to stir fry. (Leave a tiny bit of ginger and onions for next step). Sprinkle enough chilli powder to redden the onions and ginger.
4. While stirring constantly also add a tinge of red pepper, a fair amount of black pepper.
5. Add 1 – 2 teaspoons of salt and continue to stir. Using your finger, grab a half teaspoon worth of dried parsley leaves or garlic and pulverize it with your fingers while sprinkling in the pan. Continue to stir.
6. The contents should shimmer from the heat and a spicy aroma should be evident.
7. Turn the heat to high. The heat will begin to brown/blacken the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the cut tomatoes in 4 to 5 portions at a time while stirring constantly. You aim to maintain boiling point while you add tomatoes.
9. When all the tomatoes are in, and the sauce has reached/maintained boiling point, turn the heat down to medium and let boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir and mash the tomatoes occasionally.
10. After five minutes turn the heat down to low, where the sauce is barely at boiling point. Cook for 10-20 minutes stirring and mashing the tomatoes as needed.
Preparing the Chicken (or Beef)
1. Cover the bottom of a frying sauce-pan with olive oil and apply medium to high heat.
2. When the oil is very hot, carefully tilt the pan to spread the oil so as to cover the walls of the frying pan. Add the tiny amount of ginger and onions from last step and stir fry for a couple of seconds.
3. Apply high heat. Add all the cut chicken into a large pile in the centre of the frying pan.
4. Allow bottom pieces to cook and spread/stir the rest around the pan while stirring. Do not allow any of it to burn.
5. After a while the water in the chicken will cover the bottom of the pan and boil.
6. Continued to stir and add, chilli powder, black pepper, red pepper, salt and parsley leaves.
7. Allow all the water to boil off and continue to stir until the bottom of the pan is dark brown from the heat and spices.
8. Mix the chicken with the tomato sauce in the tomato saucepan and stir to ensure an even mixture. Keep under low heat – barely boiling. Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. After 30 minutes or so turn heat off but keep saucepan on the hot burner to use the residual heat.
Cooking the Sadza (Ndebele: «Ukupheka isitshwala»)
1. Before you begin, bring to boil about one gallon of water in a kettle.
2. Add 5 cups of mealie-meal in a 3 quart saucepan. Add enough cold water to completely soak the mealie-meal. Most of the water will be absorbed by the mealiemeal.
3. Add little more water to allow you to stir with an Uphini into a very thick white mixture and place saucepan over medium high heat, and while stirring add boiling water slowly.
4. Continue to stir evenly and constantly to prevent the mealie-meal from settling and hardening at the bottom of the pan. (If this happens you end up with lumpy sadza – in Ndebele: «Sadza esilamapundu» – literally «Sadza with pimples».)
5. As the mixture heats up the texture changes from rough to smooth. Continue to add water to loosen the mixture and allow it boils with enough movement – some upward spattering will occur (Ndebele: «ukuxhwatha»).
6. At this stage, the sadza is in porridge state. If the water/mealie-meal mixture is just right, the sadza will boil without spilling over. However if it is too thin it might spill over, especially if you put a the saucepan cover on. Keep an eye on it.
7. Allow the mixture to boil under medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mealie-meal (impuphu) 1/2 cup at a time and stir. At this point the sadza requires relatively heavy stirring as it thickens.
8. Continue to add impuphu and stir evenly until the sadza takes on the appearance of mashed potatoes. Be careful not to make it too thick otherwise it becomes too hard (Ndebele:»isitina» )- literally «brick» and not as enjoyable to eat.
9. After the sadza reaches the desired texture and is well mixed, turn heat off a cover and let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving. Good luck!
To Cook and to Serve
Before serving, bring the chicken stew to a boil again. Turn heat off completely and add the cut scallions. Stir evenly to spread scallions in the stew. Let sit for 1 minute and serve while scallions are green and crunchy. Stew is served in a bowl and sadza on a plate.
How to eat Sadza leNyama
Sadza is finger food. However the first time around you may wish to use a spoon until you have had a chance to observe an experienced person eat with their hands – it is quite and art!