Traditional Food for the Not-so-traditional

“When there are feathers and poop on your eggs, you know they’re fresh!”

Setswana food is kind of amazing. It is based on whole grain starches like maize meal (phaletche and samp) or sorghum (bogobe and motogo), hearty sweet vegetables like squash and beets, super-food greens, and so-free-range-you-can-literally-hear-the-cowbells meat. The problem is a history of malnutrition which caused people to use more oil, salt, and sugar than necessary, followed by a subsequent mass production and packaging of western-style junk food. Ellen, a workmate of mine who has worked in Botswana health care for 20 years explained to me the sadness of watching healthy lifestyles change for the worse over this period. Poverty in the developing world is sometimes marked both by the emaciated bodies of malnourishment, but also by the same health problems marking poverty in the United States: obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

For my friends who like to cook and/or eat: here are a few recipes that put a healthy twist on traditional Setswana food. All the ingredients can be bought locally and inexpensively (often from the local gardens), but a few American substitutions are included for those of you who want to try these stateside. I don’t own measuring spoons-my mamma taught me to eyeball it, but the measurements are as close as I can guess. Tweak. Substitute. Have fun!

Grilled Peri-peri Chicken

Watch out! The peri-peri, also known as "African Birds-eye" chili is extremely hot. 

2 T. olive oil

1/8 c. lemon juice

1 t. salt

dash of pepper

3 cloves garlic (grated)

1/8 c. chopped citantro (optional)

Combine and marinade chicken pieces in a covered, shallow dish overnight. An hour before grilling, remove from fridge. Burn wood down to the coals and cook the chicken til the juices run clear. When nearly finished, brush with peri-peri sauce.

Peri-peri sauce without the peri-peri

For you, Americans, or friends that are too rural to buy the stuff in bottles :)

In blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle, combine...

not quite 1/4 c. vinegar

1/8 c. olive oil

1/2 onion (diced)

1/2 tsp salt

3 hot chills (combo of serano and jalapeño- remove the seeds for a milder sauce)

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp coriander

Chakalaka

Thanks to Maipelo N'Guessan for the basis of this recipe.

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion (diced)

1 T. garlic

2 t. ginger

1 green pepper (diced)

5 carrots (grated)

2 T. vinegar

1 T. peri-peri spice

2 T curry powder

salt and pepper (to taste)

1 can baked beans (or cow peas cooked in tomato sauce)

1 can tomato and onion mix (or saute 3 diced tomatoes with half an onion and a tablespoon of honey)

Saute onion in oil until golden. Add garlic and ginger. Add carrot and green pepper. Let simmer until soft (I like a little crunch in the carrots and green pepper still). Use vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add peri-peri, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until it becomes aromatic (or makes you cry if you did the peri-peri right :)). Add baked beans and tomato mix. Heat through.

Next time...morogo, baked butternut, and beetroot salad. Any suggestions?