Zambia – Kalebula

by Verdzekov Bernard

A cuisine is a traditional cooking habit, practiced by different cultures in different areas around the world. Each culture or rather tradition has a unique cooking style that is so important to them. In Africa there are so many tribes like that. This cooking habit helps to differentiate tribes from each other. Though meals of certain tribes in Africa are same, the cooking procedure to arrive at that particular meal may be different. Most of the soups in Africa are made from leaves and also most and why not all African traditional dishes are delicious. 

Kalebula is a traditional dish, common to the Zambian people and is made from potatoes leaves. Normally, it is accompanied by so many other spices like tomatoes and onions, but what give the name Kalebula, is the potatoes leaves. 

If we observe carefully, most African dishes particularly the soups, have a particular way of arriving at a tasteful nature. They are prepared with so many other ingredients with water added, then left for some time to arrive at a thick state. Yea, that is how easy preparing soups is, but then you have to practice so that you know the exact component you will be needing for the preparation, the cooking tools, the amount/finance/money you need to prepare the meal. This is important and should be taking note of. 

Ingredients

• Meat
• Dry fish
• Bunch of potato leaves
• Tomatoes               
• Onions
• Vegetable oil/palm oil
• Salt to taste 
• Maggi

Tools

• Cooking pot
• Table spoon
• Chopping board (if necessary)

Process

• Slice your meat. Wash very well with clean fresh water.
• Put in your pot, add water, salt to taste, some chopped onions and boil for 25min. You may open pot to add water. While meat is boiling, wash your potato leaves, chop your potato leaves into fine slices keep aside. Chop your onions and tomatoes and keep aside.
• Put your main cooking pot on the gas and heat up. Add your vegetable oil and a bit of red oil and heat up. Add your onion and fry. 2min. Add your tomatoes and fry until translucent. Add your groundnut and stir well. Add half cup of water and stir well. Add fish and meat stock. Stir well. 
• Add chopped potato leaves and close pot. Add your water stir well for about 3min. Close pot and allow for about 15min.
• Open and add meat stock, with meat. Stir well. Add salt to taste, maggi and close pot and allow for 15min more. 
• Your kalebula is ready. Remove and serve with cooked garri or fufu corn or boiled ripped plantains. All your choice to make.

Enjoy…