Delele

Ingredients

Okra

• 600 gfresh okra, or 300 g dried okra

Alkali

• 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
• or 2 tbsp filtered wood ash water, traditional soda ash

Base

• 1onion, chopped
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbspoil
• salt

Sometimes

• ground peanuts
• dried fish
• a little chilli

To serve

• with nshima, the Zambian maize porridge

Directions

1. Use only ash from clean untreated hardwood, never from painted or treated timber or rubbish. Use it sparingly, since too much alkali gives a genuinely soapy taste that cannot be corrected. Now the okra, which should be young.
2. Soak it in warm water for half an hour before using it. Slice the okra into thin rounds. Do not rinse it after cutting, which would wash away what you are trying to keep.
3. Fry the onion in oil until soft, then add the tomatoes and cook them down. Cook the tomatoes down properly, since a watery base gives a thin relish. Add the sliced okra and a little water.
4. Use only a little water, since the okra releases its own and the relish should be thick rather than soupy. Stir in the bicarbonate or the ash water. Simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes until the okra is completely tender.
5. Stir it regularly, which develops the texture further. It should be thick, glossy and noticeably slippery, drawing a thread when lifted on a spoon.
6. Simmer it for a further fifteen minutes so the peanut cooks out. Season with salt and taste carefully, remembering the alkali is already slightly saline.
7. Serve it with nshima, the stiff maize porridge that is Zambia’s staple. It keeps two days refrigerated and it thickens further.

Technique

• The sliminess is deliberately increased rather than minimised.
• Alkali makes okra mucilage more viscous, which is why it is added.
• Use ash only from clean untreated wood, filtered through cloth.

Substitutions

• Bicarbonate of soda in place of traditional ash water.
• Dried okra, soaked, which is widely used.

Variations

• With ground peanuts stirred through.
• With dried fish added.
• Made with dried okra, which is stronger.

History

Okra cooked to a deliberately slippery relish; the texture is prized, and bicarbonate is added to increase it.

Frequently asked questions

What is Delele?

Delele is a salad & side from Zambia: slippery okra relish cooked with traditional soda ash. Okra cooked to a deliberately slippery relish; the texture is prized, and bicarbonate is added to increase it.

How long does Delele take to make?

Delele takes 15 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings as a relish. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Delele?

Yes, within limits. Bicarbonate of soda in place of traditional ash water. Dried okra, soaked, which is widely used.

What is the most important thing to get right in Delele?

Use only ash from clean untreated hardwood, never from painted or treated timber or rubbish. Use it sparingly, since too much alkali gives a genuinely soapy taste that cannot be corrected. Now the okra, which should be young.