Matata

Ingredients

Shellfish

• 1.5 kgfresh clams in the shell
• coarse salt, for purging

Greens

• 500 gyoung pumpkin leaves, or tender greens
• salt

Sauce

• 250 graw peanuts, or 200 g smooth peanut butter
• 2onions, chopped
• 3tomatoes, chopped
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 3 tbspoil
• 1red chilli, chopped
• salt and pepper

To serve

• xima, stiff maize porridge
• lime wedges

Directions

1. Lift the clams out of the water rather than pouring them out, so the settled sand stays behind. Steam the clams in a covered pot with a splash of water over a high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until they open.
2. Take them off the heat the moment most have opened. Discard any that stayed shut after cooking rather than forcing them open.
3. Strain the cooking liquor through a fine cloth and keep it. If using raw peanuts, roast them in a dry pan, rub off the skins, and grind them to a smooth paste.
4. Wash the pumpkin leaves, strip the coarse strings from the stems, and shred them. Fry the onion in the oil until soft, add the garlic, chilli and tomatoes, and cook until thick.
5. Add the shredded greens and a little of the clam liquor and cook 10 minutes until tender. Stir in the loosened peanut paste and the rest of the liquor and simmer gently 15 minutes, stirring often.
6. Stir it regularly, because peanut sauce catches on the base of the pot faster than almost anything else. The sauce is ready when the oil begins to rise and separate at the surface.
7. Fold the shelled clams through and heat them for a minute only. Add the clams at the very end. Season, top with the reserved clams in their shells, and serve over xima with lime.

Technique

• Pumpkin leaves are sold in African and Asian shops; sweet potato leaves are the common substitute.
• Fresh crab or prawns are used the same way along the same coast.
• It is eaten with xima, the Mozambican maize porridge, and never with rice in the traditional version.

Substitutions

• Frozen or tinned clams, added at the very end with their liquor.
• Spinach or chard for the greens, which is milder.

Variations

• Matapa, made with cassava leaves and often prawns.
• With coconut milk added, which is common on the coast.
• Made with crab.

History

A coastal dish of Inhambane and Maputo bays, combining shellfish gathered at low tide with the peanut sauces of the interior.

Frequently asked questions

What is Matata?

Matata is a soup & stew from Mozambique: clams stewed with young greens and ground peanuts, spooned over xima. A coastal dish of Inhambane and Maputo bays, combining shellfish gathered at low tide with the peanut sauces of the interior.

How long does Matata take to make?

Matata takes 40 min plus 2 hr purging of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Matata?

Yes, within limits. Frozen or tinned clams, added at the very end with their liquor. Spinach or chard for the greens, which is milder.

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

Lift the clams out of the water rather than pouring them out, so the settled sand stays behind. Steam the clams in a covered pot with a splash of water over a high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until they open.