🍽️ Cuisine
Mozambique's cuisine is a vibrant fusion born from five centuries of Portuguese colonization, Indian Ocean trade, and deep African roots. The result is unique in Africa: piri-piri peppers ignite everything from grilled prawns to chicken, coconut milk enriches curries and stews, and cashews—grown extensively here—appear in both savory dishes and sweets. The long coastline provides extraordinary seafood, from the giant prawns of Beira to the crayfish of Inhambane. Portuguese influence shows in the love of bread, pastries, and slow-cooked stews, while African traditions persist in the use of cassava, peanuts, and matapa—the iconic dish of cassava leaves and coconut. This is food with soul, heat, and the salt of the Indian Ocean.
Galinha à Zambeziana (Zambezian Chicken)
Named after the Zambezi River region, this is Mozambique's iconic chicken dish—tender pieces braised in coconut milk with lime and fiery piri-piri. The sauce becomes creamy and intensely flavored as it reduces, clinging to every piece of chicken. It's the dish homesick Mozambicans dream about.
Ingredients: 500g chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks), 400ml coconut milk, 2 tablespoons piri-piri sauce (or hot sauce + paprika), 1 large onion (sliced), 4 cloves garlic (minced), 30ml lime juice, 30ml vegetable oil, 5ml salt, 2ml paprika, Fresh cilantro for garnish.
Preparation: Combine piri-piri, half the lime juice, garlic, salt, and paprika. Rub all over chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours. Heat oil in a large pan or pot. Brown the chicken on all sides until golden. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, sauté onion until softened and starting to caramelize. Return chicken to the pan. Pour in coconut milk and remaining lime juice. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook on low heat for 40-45 minutes, turning chicken occasionally, until very tender. Uncover and simmer 10 more minutes to thicken the sauce. It should coat the chicken luxuriously. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice with extra sauce spooned on top.
💡 Real piri-piri is made from African bird's eye chilies—look for it in Portuguese or African markets. The heat should be noticeable but not overwhelming.
Matapa
The national dish of Mozambique, matapa is a creamy stew of young cassava leaves cooked with ground peanuts, coconut milk, and garlic. Often enriched with prawns or crab, it's eaten throughout the country and is considered essential to Mozambican identity. The texture should be smooth and the flavor deeply nutty.
Ingredients: 400g young cassava leaves (or spinach as substitute), 150g raw peanuts (ground to powder), 200g prawns or crab meat (optional), 400ml coconut milk, 4 cloves garlic (minced), 1 medium onion (finely chopped), 30ml vegetable oil, 5ml salt, Fresh lemon juice to taste.
Preparation: If using cassava leaves, wash thoroughly and pound or blend to a paste. Fresh spinach can be chopped finely. Heat oil in a pot. Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant and softened. Add the cassava leaf paste (or spinach) and stir well. Add 100ml water if too thick. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cassava leaves need long cooking to become tender. Add ground peanuts and coconut milk. Stir well and simmer for another 20-30 minutes until thick and creamy. Add prawns or crab in the last 10 minutes if using, cooking until just done. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve over rice or with crusty bread.
💡 Traditional matapa uses very young cassava leaves, which are more tender. If using mature leaves or spinach, increase cooking time.
Camarão Grelhado Piri-Piri
Mozambique is famous for its giant prawns, and this preparation—grilled with piri-piri butter—is legendary. The prawns should be butterflied to maximize char and basted continuously with the spicy, garlicky butter. It's seaside eating at its finest.
Ingredients: 500g large prawns (shell-on, head-on preferred), 100g butter (softened), 4 cloves garlic (minced), 30ml piri-piri sauce, 30ml lemon juice, 15ml olive oil, Fresh parsley (chopped), 5ml salt, Lemon wedges for serving.
Preparation: Make piri-piri butter: Mix softened butter with garlic, piri-piri sauce, half the lemon juice, parsley, and salt. Set half aside for serving. Butterfly the prawns: Cut through the back shell and flesh, leaving connected. Remove the vein. Press flat. Toss prawns with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Grill prawns shell-side down for 2 minutes. Flip and baste generously with the piri-piri butter. Grill 2-3 more minutes until pink and charred. Continue basting as they cook, letting the butter drip onto the heat for extra flavor. Serve immediately with remaining piri-piri butter, lemon wedges, and crusty bread to soak up the juices.
💡 The shells add flavor and protect the delicate flesh—eat with your hands and use bread to soak up every drop of that piri-piri butter.
