Recipes for a Healthy Africa is a collaborative project organised by Greenpeace Volunteers, with contributions from Greenpeace Africa supporters. This project challenges us to cook with more plant-based products, including indigenous fruits and vegetables. Interested in submitting your own recipe? We’d love to include it in our cookbook!
Imifino is a traditional KwaZulu Natal dish usually served with phuthu (ground maize meal, another traditional Zulu food). Imifino is a isiZulu collective name given describing most green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and the various species of amaranth.
Bhaji is a South African Indian collective name similarly given describing most green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and the various species of amaranth.
For this recipe the selected Imifino/Bhaji is New Zealand spinach, which can be foraged ~ as it’s quite a widespread plant found growing in Durban. Harvest sustainably ~ never pull or uproot a plant. Instead pick individual leaves and tips.”
A recipe by
Delwyn Pillay
Ingredients
- Cooking oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Sweet potato
- New Zealand spinach (or any type of spinach or suitable green leafy vegetable)
- Dried red chili (Optional)
- Salt
Method
1. Add oil to pan on low heat until the oil is hot (but not smoking).
2. Add in the chopped onion, then the garlic to soften up.
3. Add the sweet potatoes. Fry for about 15mins or until the sweet potatoes soften up. Continuously stir to avoid burning/sticking.
4. Add the New Zealand spinach with the dried red chilli and a pinch of salt
5. Once the spinach has wilted down, mix them up with the onion and garlic.
6. Add a little water (between 0.2ml – 0.4ml). Cover the pan with a lid and let cook on low heat for about 15mins.
Serve and enjoy with brown bread or roti (Indian flat bread) or with phuthu (ground maize meal).
About the cook
Delwyn is a well known Greenpeace Africa volunteer & activist based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He is a keen seed banker, meaning he saves seeds for future planting, in particular heritage seeds. These are seeds of cultural significance.