Zambian · main

Ifisashi

Ifisashi reads nutty 4.8, salinity 3.6 and allium 3.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Zambian main, about 1 hr 22 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 3.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Nutty 4.8 · Salinity 3.6 · Allium 3.4 · Richness 3.2 · Heat 2.9 · Sweetness 2.3 · Sourness 2.1 · Fruity 2.1 · Earthy 1.9 · Umami 1.8 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Warm Spice 1.0 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (11)

• pumpkin leaves — 700 g
• peanuts — 200 g
• water — 500 g
• onion — 110 g
• tomatoes — 350 g
• sunflower oil — 28 g
• salt — 5 g
• chili pepper — 100 g
• green beans — 150 g
• white cornmeal — 400 g
• water — 1200 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 22 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 79.4 kcal, 2.6 g protein, 3 g fat, 10.7 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Pound or blend the groundnuts to a coarse paste. Ifisashi is defined by this groundnut sauce - the greens are the variable, the groundnuts are not.
2. Put the paste in a pot with the 500 ml water and simmer 15 minutes over low heat, stirring, until it loosens into a thin sauce and stops tasting raw.
3. In a separate pan heat the oil and cook the onion 6 minutes over medium heat.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook 6 minutes until soft.
5. Add the shredded greens and green beans and turn them in the pan 5 minutes until wilted down.
6. Tip the vegetables into the groundnut sauce and simmer 20 minutes over low heat, uncovered, until thick.
7. Season with salt and chopped chilli.
8. For the nshima, bring the 1.2 litres of water to the boil, stir in the maize meal in a steady stream and cook 20 minutes over low heat, working it stiff with a wooden spoon. Serve the ifisashi beside it.
9. Substitutions: rape greens can stand in for the pumpkin leaves.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Nsima with Ndiwo za Nkhaka — Malawian
• Muriwo Unedovi (Greens in Peanut Butter) — Zimbabwean
• Mchicha (Amaranth Greens in Coconut Milk) — Tanzanian
• Tomato Pachadi (Roasted Tomato and Lentil Relish) — Indian · Andhra
• Quick And Easy Yunnan Potatoes — Chinese

Keep reading: what nutty, salinity, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.