DES NGEMA’S ISINKWA NEMIFINO (STEAMED MIELIE BREAD WITH WILD SPINACH)
“Isinkwa sombila nemifino is a classic traditional dish. I love this recipe because it reminds me of home. My mom used to grind the mielies by hand, which made the texture heavenly. It’s a great all-rounder that goes well with spreads, soups and meaty gravies like tripe.”
Makes 1 loaf
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 1½ hours
whole mielies 2–3 flour 100 g salt 1t baking powder 1T free-range eggs 2 butter 50 g sugar 40 g imifino (spinach) 100 g, washed and roughly chopped
1 Wash the mielies, removing the husks and silk. Using a small knife, gently scrape the kernels from the cobs to make 250 g. 2 Reserve 50 g of the kernels to add to the batter, then blend the remaining kernels to make a chunky purée. Set both aside. 3 Sift the flour, salt and baking powder. Cream the eggs, butter and sugar in a mixer and add the mielie purée. Add the dry ingredients and reserved mielie kernels. Mix well to form a smooth batter. 4 Fold in the imifino, taking care not overwork the batter so it doesn’t stain the bread. 5 Pour into a greased or lined stainless-steel bowl, then cover with foil or clingwrap making sure it doesn’t touch the batter. 6 Place in a large saucepan half-filled with water – the bowl should not be submerged in the water. Cover, then steam for 1½ hours over a medium heat. Check the water level every 20 minutes and add more boiling water if necessary. 7 Use a toothpick or skewer to test whether the bread is ready; it should come out dry. If It’s still wet, steam it for a bit longer. Once ready, remove from the saucepan, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then flip the bowl upside down. Place the bread on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.
Cook’s note: You can replace imifino with your favourite leafy vegetable but make sure you drain any excess water. FAT-CONSCIOUS, MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Spier Chardonnay