We love to share recipes of various Afro multicultural cuisines, to celebrate the rich and delicious variety of food and drinks from the motherland and the motherland diaspora. This week on our Afro Cuisine recipe is Oshifima, a smooth porridge of Namibia in honor of Namibia’s 32nd independence anniversary celebration only a few days ago on the 21st of March.
Oshifima is a Namibian staple food prepared daily in order to provide the people with sufficient energy for the day. The porridge is typically made with a combination of mahangu flour and cornmeal boiled in water until the concoction develops a thick texture.
Ingredients for Oshifima
- 1 1⁄4 cups white cornmeal
- Milk to taste
- 1 cup water
Some versions use Pearl millet flour and salt.
DIRECTIONS
- Heat a cup of water to boiling in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl gradually add 3/4 cup of the cornmeal to the milk, stirring briskly to make a smooth paste.
- Add this mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly.
- Cook for 4 or 5 minutes while adding the remaining cornmeal.
- When mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pot and stick together, remove from heat.
- Dump oshifima into a lightly greased bowl.
- With damp hands, shape it into a smooth ball, turning in the bowl to help smooth it.
- Serve immediately.
- To eat in the traditional manner, tear off a piece of oshifima and make an indentation in it with your thumb. Use this hollow to scoop up stew or sauce from a communal bowl.
Recipe: @food.com