Kondowole facts for kids

Kondowole is a special and very sticky meal from the northern part of Malawi, a country in Africa. It's a bit like other thick porridges you might know, such as nsima from Malawi or ugali from Tanzania. Kondowole is made from cassava flour and water.

Because it's so thick and sticky, cooking Kondowole needs a lot of strength! People often cook it right on the floor so they can push the cooking stick through it with all their might. It's usually eaten with fish, like "utaka" or "chambo," a famous fish from Lake Malawi. Kondowole isn't made as often as nsima because it's hard to cook in large amounts.

How to Prepare Kondowole Flour

Making Kondowole flour takes a few steps, starting with the cassava plant itself.

Getting the Cassava Ready

• First, you need to peel the cassava root.
• Then, soak the peeled cassava in water for about two to four days. This helps it ferment and become soft. If the weather is very humid, it might only take two days!

Pounding and Drying

• After soaking, take the cassava out of the water.
• Remove the tough stringy part from the middle.
• Squeeze out some of the extra water.
• Next, pound the soft cassava using a special tool called a "mortar" (which is called "mtondo" in Malawi) and a "pestle" (called "musi").
• Once it's a paste, spread it out in small, even portions to dry in the sun. Don't pile it up!

Grinding the Dried Cassava

• When the cassava paste is completely dry, put it back into the mortar for grinding.
• After grinding, you can sieve it (like sifting flour) or take it to a maize mill to get it really fine. Now you have Kondowole flour!

Cooking Kondowole

Cooking Kondowole is a hands-on job that needs strong arms!

Starting the Cook

• Pour water into a small pot, filling it about halfway.
• Bring the water to a boil.

Mixing the Flour

• Once the water is boiling, add about four handfuls of the cassava flour.
• Stir it quickly while it's still on the heat until it forms a thick, sticky paste. Keep stirring for about a minute.

The Final Mix

• Take the pot off the heat.
• Now, the hard work begins! Keep mixing the paste very strongly until all the flour has completely disappeared and it's a smooth, firm dough.
• In Malawi, many people put the hot pot between their feet. This lets them use both hands to mix, which makes it easier to get the Kondowole just right!