Matapa

Ingredients

• 500g frozen ground cassava leaves, or 700g spinach plus 200g pumpkin leaves
• 400ml coconut milk (full fat)
• 200ml coconut cream
• 100g roasted peanuts, ground to a coarse powder
• 300g raw prawns, peeled
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 300ml water
• 1 lime, juiced
• Steamed rice, to serve

Before you cook

• Defrost the cassava leaves fully, or wash the fresh greens and pound them in batches in a mortar until broken down and pulpy.
• Grind the roasted peanuts in a blender to a coarse sandy powder, stopping before they turn to butter.
• Peel and devein the prawns.
• Chop the onion, garlic and tomatoes.

Steps

1. Put the cassava leaves and 300ml water into a heavy pot and bring them to a boil.
2. Simmer the leaves uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until they lose their raw green smell and turn dark.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 8 minutes until soft.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes.
5. Scrape the onion and tomato mixture into the pot of leaves.
6. Stir in the ground peanuts and the 400ml coconut milk.
7. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the peanuts do not stick to the base.
8. Season with the salt and pepper and check the texture, which should be thick and spoonable rather than soupy.
9. Add the prawns and push them under the surface.
10. Cook for 5 minutes until the prawns are pink and just firm.
11. Pour in the coconut cream and warm it through for 2 minutes without boiling hard.
12. Finish with the lime juice, taste for salt, and serve over rice.