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Vegetarian, Africa and overseas

Muriwo une dovi and sadza

Muriwo une dovi and sadza is a Zimbabwean dish for 4 people, ready in 45 minutes, rated easy, at €1.90 per serving. Spinach and cabbage simmer with tomatoes and onions in a peanut butter sauce, served alongside a firm polenta called sadza. The key to success is balancing the savory vegetables with the creamy sauce.

Tonight, muriwo une dovi from Zimbabwe, leafy greens simmered in a creamy peanut sauce, served with sadza.

Muriwo une dovi and sadza
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.90
Calories per person
610 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Fall

Muriwo une dovi combines the light crunch of cabbage with soft, wilted spinach in a thick peanut butter sauce, brightened by melted tomatoes and onion. Sadza, a firm polenta porridge, soaks up that sauce and forms the base of the meal, the way rice or bread might elsewhere. The result tastes rounded and savory, with a slight sweetness from the peanut.

This is a weeknight dish that needs few ingredients but a bit of attention so the sauce doesn't turn lumpy. Mon Chou suggests it as a change from the usual leafy greens, in a version that appeals to adults curious about new flavors. Kids used to simpler tastes might prefer plain sadza with just a little sauce on the side.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Fresh spinach 500 g
  • Green cabbage 300 g
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Onions 2
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Pantry

  • Plain peanut butter 4 tbsp
  • Fine instant polentaoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Sunflower oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 2 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Peanuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Wash the spinach and cabbage, remove the thick stems and finely shred the leaves.

    Roll the leaves up like a cigar to shred them quickly.

  2. Cook the sliced onions and garlic in the oil, add the diced tomatoes and let them break down. 10 min

    The tomatoes are ready once they have melted into a thick sauce.

  3. Add the cabbage and 10 cl of water, cover and cook, then add the spinach. 12 min

    Add the cabbage first since it is firmer, the spinach only needs 2 minutes.

  4. Whisk the peanut butter with a little hot water, pour it over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and let simmer over low heat. 8 min

    Whisking it first prevents lumps from forming.

  5. Bring 1 liter of salted water to a boil, pour in the polenta in a steady stream while whisking, and stir until you get a firm sadza, then serve with the vegetables. 10 min

    The sadza is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the pot in a smooth ball.

Our tips to get it right

  • Shred the cabbage and spinach fairly finely, they cook faster and blend better into the sauce.
  • Taste the sauce before adding salt, peanut butter is sometimes already salty depending on the brand.
  • Always pour the polenta into boiling water in a thin steady stream while whisking constantly, that's what keeps the sadza lump free.

The variations

  • Swap the green cabbage for kale or mustard greens, the flavor will be a bit more peppery.
  • Add cooked chickpeas or kidney beans for a version with more plant protein.
  • For a quicker version, use frozen chopped spinach and cut the vegetable cooking time by 5 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A fresh tomato salad
  • A cup of rooibos tea
  • Grilled plantains

Storage

The peanut vegetables keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Sadza also keeps but firms up as it cools, reheat both gently over low heat with a splash of water to bring back the texture. Freezing works for the vegetable sauce, but it's not recommended for sadza since it loses its texture.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace sadza with rice?

Yes, white or brown rice both work well to soak up the sauce. It will be less authentic but the meal stays balanced.

What kind of peanut butter should you use?

Choose a plain peanut butter with no added sugar to keep the sauce savory and balanced. Sweetened or flavored versions change the final taste of the dish too much.

Can you prep the vegetables ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the vegetable sauce the day before and reheat it gently before serving. Make the sadza right before eating, it tastes best freshly cooked.

How do you know when the sadza is cooked enough?

Sadza is ready when it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pot. If it stays sticky or runny, keep stirring for a few more minutes.

How long does it take to make a muriwo une dovi with sadza?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a muriwo une dovi with sadza?

About 610 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a muriwo une dovi with sadza cost?

About €1.90 per serving, or €7.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains peanuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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