Ingredients
Porridge
- 400 gfine white maize meal
- 1.2 litreswater
- 1 teaspoonsalt
To serve
- matapa, cassava leaves with peanut and coconut
- or a fish or chicken curry
- or a simple tomato and onion relish
Equipment
- a heavy pot
- a sturdy wooden spoon
Directions
- Use fine white maize meal rather than coarse. The best xima is smooth and white. Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil.
- Use a heavy pot that holds heat well. A thin pot scorches the porridge on the base. Set aside a mug of boiling water before you start. You may need it to loosen the porridge later.
- Take about a third of the maize meal. Mix it with cold water in a bowl into a smooth paste. That cold paste is what prevents lumps.
- Pour the paste into the boiling water while whisking. Whisk hard until it is smooth. Let it boil for about five minutes. Add the remaining meal in three or four additions.
- Sprinkle it in rather than dumping it. Stir vigorously after each addition. Turn the heat right down to low. Working it stiff is genuinely hard work. Press the porridge against the side of the pot. Fold it back over onto itself.
- Keep pressing and folding for fifteen minutes. The porridge should pull away from the pot cleanly. Add a splash of the reserved water if it goes too stiff. Work it in fully before adding any more. Wet a bowl with cold water first. Scoop the hot xima into it and press it down.
- Turn it out onto a plate as a smooth mound. The wet bowl stops it sticking. Pinch off a piece and roll it in your palm. Press a hollow into it with your thumb. Use that hollow to scoop up the stew. The piece should hold its shape as you lift it. Break it up and stir as it warms through.
Technique
- Xima, ugali, sadza, nsima, pap and posho are regional names for closely related maize porridges across eastern and southern Africa.
- The Mozambican version is usually made from fine white meal and served with a sauce or a leafy stew.
Substitutions
- Fine polenta can substitute but needs longer cooking and more vigorous stirring.
- Cassava flour or a maize and cassava mix is used in parts of northern Mozambique.
Variations
- Xima de mandioca uses cassava flour and gives a stickier porridge.
- Some households mix maize and sorghum meal together.
- A softer, wetter version is made for children and for breakfast.
History
Maize meal porridge, cousin of ugali and sadza; maize arrived through Portuguese Atlantic and Indian Ocean trade.
Frequently asked questions
What is Xima?
Xima is a main from Mozambique: smooth maize-meal porridge scooping up matapa and curries. Maize meal porridge, cousin of ugali and sadza; maize arrived through Portuguese Atlantic and Indian Ocean trade.
How long does Xima take to make?
Xima takes 5 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Xima?
Yes, within limits. Fine polenta can substitute but needs longer cooking and more vigorous stirring. Cassava flour or a maize and cassava mix is used in parts of northern Mozambique.
What is the most important thing to get right in Xima?
Use fine white maize meal rather than coarse. The best xima is smooth and white. Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil.
