Maliwase, Monalisa and Partson’s Mpunga Wa Nkhuku Yalokolo (Rice with Local Chicken)

“In Malawi, we eat this dish on special occasions like engagements, weddings, Christmas, New Year or on a Sunday when the whole family is together. It is the tradition that the man buys and prepares the chicken so that it is ready to be cooked and the woman then cooks the dish itself.”

Maliwase, Monalisa and Partson, staff at 500 miles, Lilongwe 

Maliwase Munthali, Monalisa Siyamanda and Partson Njanse all work at the 500 miles Prosthetic & Orthotic Centre at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe and the three of them kindly prepared this dish and video for us. 

Maliwase is a qualified orthopaedic technician, currently studying for her degree.  Monalisa is an orthopaedic technician – and is also very good at editing videos as you can see from this one! – and Partson keeps our centre clean.

Maliwase, Maliwase’s mother and Partson bought the ingredients.  Maliwase’s brothers cleaned the chicken for us. Partson assisted in cooking and cleaning the vegetables and rice and washed everything up afterwards.

Maliwase, Monalisa and Partson’s Mpunga Wa Nkhuku Yalokolo (Rice with Local Chicken)

Ingredients (serves 10-11 people):

Mpunga (rice) (3kg)

Nkhuku (Chicken) (2)

Salt

Garlic powder

Mahita Ophikira (cooking oil) (500ml)

Anyezi (onion) (2 medium)

Green pepper (2)

Adyo (Fresh Garlic) (1 clove)

Tjabola powder (Chili powder) (5g)

Green pepper powder (5g)

Rajah spice (medium curry powder) 5g)

Paprika (2)

Tomatoes (7)

Lepu (green leaves) (a big handful)

Method:

  1. Firstly, clean the nkhuku yalokolo (chicken) and put it in a pot and then over heat and add salt and garlic powder then let it boil for 1 hour.
  2. After the water has boiled off, add cooking oil and fry the chicken for a little bit of time.
  3. Then add onions, green pepper, the fresh garlic and the spices and cook and then ad the tomato and let everything cook again.
  4. Stir in the lepu leaves.
  5. Then add water and after boiling for 15 minutes, our nkhuku yalokolo is ready to serve with rice or pasta.

 

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