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Mutakura
Mutakura: Zimbabwean boiled mix of dried beans, cowpeas, groundnuts and maize
Mutakura is old Zimbabwean country food, cooked in rural Mashonaland after harvest from the store of dried beans, cowpeas, groundnuts and maize kernels, and eaten as a filling lunch or snack, often at gatherings and ceremonies. Everything is soaked, boiled for hours until tender, then simply seasoned with salt, so the beans are creamy, the maize chewy and the groundnuts soft and rich. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 340 kcal and 45 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is cooking everything together from the start: the maize needs a long head start, and the dried red beans must be boiled hard for 10 minutes to be safe. A pressure cooker cuts the maize time to about 40 minutes. Chef's tip: soak everything overnight in separate bowls; the maize and groundnuts need it most.
- Total time
- 160 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 7 oz dried white maize kernels (samp or whole hominy)soaked overnight
- 5 ½ oz dried red beans (sugar or kidney beans)soaked overnight
- 3 ½ oz dried cowpeassoaked overnight
- 3 ½ oz raw shelled groundnuts (peanuts)soaked overnight
- 12 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz dried white maize kernels (samp or whole hominy), put it in a large pot with 7 ½ cups water and simmer, partly covered, for 60 minutes.
60 minStep 2: Meanwhile drain 5 ½ oz dried red beans (sugar or kidney beans), cover with fresh water in another pan and boil hard for 10 minutes, then drain. This step makes red beans safe to eat.
15 minStep 3: Add the boiled beans, drained 3 ½ oz dried cowpeas, drained 3 ½ oz raw shelled groundnuts (peanuts) and the rest of the 5 cups water to the maize. Simmer for 60–80 minutes, topping up with water, until all the beans are creamy inside and the maize is tender but chewy.
80 minStep 4: Drain off any remaining liquid, stir in 1 ½ tsp salt and serve warm. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mutakura take?
- About 160 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 150 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.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
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