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Metemgee
Guyanese one-pot of cassava, sweet potato, plantain and dumplings ('duff') in thyme-scented coconut milk
Metemgee (also mettagee or 'mettem') is Guyanese country food from the coastal villages: ground provisions, cassava, eddoes, sweet potato, yam and plantain, layered in a pot and cooked in coconut milk until soft, with duff (dumplings) steamed on top. The broth thickens from the starch into a creamy, thyme-and-pepper gravy. It's usually served with fried salt fish; here it's all vegetables, with okra added. Chef's tip: layer the hardest vegetables at the bottom and the softest on top, then don't stir; everything ends up cooked at the same moment.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pot
For the duff (dumplings)
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic and 4 sprigs fresh thyme for 4 minutes until soft and fragrant.
4 minStep 2: Layer in the vegetables, hardest first: 14 oz cassava at the bottom, then 10 ½ oz eddoes or taro, 14 oz sweet potato and 2 ripe-but-firm plantains, with 5 ½ oz okra on top.
Step 3: Pour over 3 ¼ cups coconut milk and 1 ¼ cups water, add 1 ½ tsp salt and lay 1 wiri wiri or scotch bonnet pepper on top. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes, shaking the pot now and then instead of stirring.
20 minStep 4: For the duff, mix 7 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp sugar and ¼ tsp salt with ½ cup water into a soft dough. Knead for 1 minute, divide into 8 pieces and shape into flat ovals.
5 minStep 5: Lay the duff on top of the vegetables, cover tightly and cook for 15–20 minutes until the dumplings are puffed and firm, the cassava is tender to a knife and the coconut milk has thickened into a creamy sauce. Common mistake: lifting the lid; the duff need the trapped steam to rise.
20 minStep 6: Remove the pepper, scatter over 3 spring onions and serve from the pot in deep plates.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does metemgee take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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