Morogo

Ingredients

Greens

• 1 kgmorogo, or a mix of amaranth leaves, cowpea leaves and spider plant leaves
• or 1 kg spinach and chard mixed

Base

• 3 tbspoil
• 2onions, chopped
• 3tomatoes, chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tspsalt
• black pepper

Sometimes added

• 1green chilli, chopped
• 2 tbspgroundnut paste
• 1potato, diced small

To serve

• pap, the stiff maize porridge
• or bogobe, sorghum porridge
• grilled meat

Directions

1. Strip the leaves from any thick or woody stems. Pick out any yellowed or damaged leaves. Wash them in several changes of cold water.
2. Lift them out of the water rather than pouring, so the grit stays behind. Chop them roughly if the leaves are large. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Drop the greens in and boil them for three minutes.
3. Drain them and press out some of the water. This takes the sharpest edge off spider plant and similar leaves. Warm the oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook them for eight minutes. Cook them until soft and beginning to colour.
4. Add the garlic and the chilli if you are using it. Cook them for a further minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook them down for six minutes. The base should be thick rather than watery.
5. Add the greens to the pan in handfuls. Wait for each handful to wilt before adding the next. Add a splash of water, no more than a hundred millilitres. Season with salt and cover the pan. Cook them for twenty to twenty-five minutes over a low heat.
6. Stir every five minutes so nothing catches. Judging when they are done is a matter of texture. Stir it in smoothly and simmer for five minutes more. Finishing it is about the moisture level.
7. Take the lid off for the last five minutes if the pan is wet. The greens should be moist but should not sit in liquid. Taste it and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve it hot beside a mound of pap or bogobe.

Technique

• Morogo covers several different wild greens; do not gather anything you cannot identify.
• Cook until dark and soft, since bright green morogo is undercooked.
• Blanch the more bitter leaves first, though mild amaranth needs no blanching.

Substitutions

• Spinach and chard mixed, if wild greens are unavailable.
• Frozen morogo, sold in southern African shops.

Variations

• With groundnut paste stirred through.
• With diced potato cooked in.
• Made plainer, with only onion and salt.

History

Wild leafy greens gathered from fields after rain and boiled, an indigenous vegetable tradition older than any cultivated crop here.

Frequently asked questions

What is Morogo?

Morogo is a salad & side from Botswana: wild spinach greens stewed with onion and tomato. Wild leafy greens gathered from fields after rain and boiled, an indigenous vegetable tradition older than any cultivated crop here.

How long does Morogo take to make?

Morogo takes 20 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Morogo?

Yes, within limits. Spinach and chard mixed, if wild greens are unavailable. Frozen morogo, sold in southern African shops.

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

Lift them out of the water rather than pouring, so the grit stays behind. Chop them roughly if the leaves are large. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Drop the greens in and boil them for three minutes.