Chef-tested recipe
Properly prepared cassava leaves slowly cooked with groundnuts and coconut milk, finished with prawns in a coastal Mozambican style.
Matapa is a dish I treat with patience. The cassava leaves need to be a food-grade product prepared for cooking, then they need thorough cooking before the groundnuts, coconut and prawns are added. The finished sauce should be thick, green and nutty, with the coconut rounding the leaves rather than making the dish sweet.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 25 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Cuisine
- Mozambican
- Course
- Main dish or accompaniment
- Cooking Method
- Pounding or grinding and prolonged simmering
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Best Served With
- Plain white rice or xima
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ingredient and equipment links marked “paid link” may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Equipment
- Heavy cooking pot paid link
- Food processor or mortar and pestle paid link
- Wooden spoon paid link
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Cutting board paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
Ingredients
For the matapa
- Food-grade cassava leaves prepared for cooking — 700 g, very finely pounded or chopped
- Unsalted peanuts — 200 g, finely ground paid link
- Unsweetened coconut milk — 500 ml paid link
- Water — 500 ml
- Onion — 120 g, finely chopped
- Garlic — 10 g, crushed
- Fine salt — 8 g, or to taste paid link
For finishing
- Peeled raw prawns — 250 g
Preparation Overview
Use only cassava leaves sold or otherwise reliably prepared for culinary use. They should be finely pounded or ground before the long cooking stage. Grind the peanuts separately and keep the prawns refrigerated until the final minutes of cooking.
Method
-
Put the prepared cassava leaves and water in a heavy pot. Bring to a steady simmer and cook uncovered or partially covered for about 45 minutes, stirring periodically and adding a little hot water if the pot becomes dry.
-
Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking until completely tender.
-
Stir the ground peanuts into the leaves, followed by the coconut milk. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently from the bottom so the groundnuts do not scorch.
-
Add the prawns and simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked through.
-
Season with the salt, adjust the consistency with a small amount of hot water if necessary and serve hot.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Do not use raw, unprocessed cassava leaves as a shortcut. Cassava leaves naturally contain cyanogenic compounds and require appropriate processing and thorough cooking.
- Once groundnuts are added, keep the heat moderate and stir regularly because the sauce thickens quickly at the bottom.
- Add prawns only near the end so they cook through without becoming rubbery.
Tips and Variations
- For a meatless version, omit the prawns and keep the groundnut-coconut base unchanged.
- Do not replace cassava leaves with raw cassava foliage that has not been prepared for culinary use.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with hot water rather than extra coconut milk so the groundnut flavour stays balanced.
Serving Ideas
- Serve matapa in a shallow bowl with plain white rice or xima. Keep the accompaniment simple because the groundnut and coconut sauce is already rich.
Storage
When made with prawns, cool promptly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly over gentle heat, stirring often. Do not repeatedly cool and reheat the dish.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains peanuts and crustacean shellfish. Coconut is also present. For a shellfish-free version, omit the prawns and verify all packaged ingredients for cross-contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh cassava leaves straight from the plant?
Not as a direct substitute. Use cassava leaves that have been appropriately selected and prepared for culinary use, then cook them thoroughly according to the recipe.
Can I make matapa without prawns?
Yes. The groundnut, cassava-leaf and coconut base stands on its own and can be served without seafood.
Why is my matapa sticking to the pot?
The groundnut mixture is too hot or too dry. Lower the heat, add a little hot water and stir more frequently from the base.
