Namibian Oshifima Spinach Peanut Bowl

Ingredients

• 10 cups chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups maize meal
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 green chili, minced
• 2 cups vegetable stock or water
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley

Steps

1. Start the oshifima first. Bring 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy pot.
2. Whisk 1/2 cup of the maize meal into 1 cup cold water to make a lump-free slurry, stir it into the boiling water, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining maize meal in a steady stream while beating hard with a wooden spoon, then cover and cook over the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, beating and scraping the base every 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes until golden, then add the garlic and chili for 30 seconds.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes, pressing them down, until they collapse and the oil separates.
6. Add the spinach in handfuls, letting each batch wilt, then pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Whisk the peanut butter with 1/2 cup of the hot cooking liquid until smooth, then stir it back in and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often so it does not catch, until thick and glossy with oil rising to the surface.
8. Beat the oshifima hard for a final minute until stiff and smooth, then serve it in mounds with the spinach stew, the cilantro, and lime wedges.

Allergen note: Contains peanuts.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.