Home » Delicious traditional Muboora (Pumpkin leaves)

Delicious traditional Muboora (Pumpkin leaves)

Written by Published on in Muriwo, Traditional, Vegetables, Vegetarian
3 Servings ~ 15 minutes
  • 1 bunch muboora (pumpkin leaves)
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp pure vegetable oil
  • 500 ml boiling water
  • 2 tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1/2 onion (chopped)

Muboora (pumpkin leaves) has got to be my all time favourite leafy green vegetable. I love love love it! I enjoy this version with tomatoes and onions as well as the dovi version (when it’s in peanut butter sauce), and in fresh cream or white sauce, totally delish! It’s however important to give muboora a thorough wash before cooking it as it usually has quite a bit of mud/ soil on it’s leaves. Eating it after it wasn’t washed properly will probably make you despise it! So again I emphasize, give it a real good wash. 😉

Quick Instructions

  1. With your muboora (pumpkin leaves) (1 bunch), tomatoes (2 tomatoes, chopped) and onions (1/2 onion, chopped) ready, begin washing your muboora (pumpkin leaves). Give them a thorough wash until you’re satisfied that it’s clean 😀 (I did this 4 times just to be sure! 😀 ) Break of part of the stem and pull of the silk from the pumpkin leaves. Do this one leaf at a time. In Shona we call this kufurura.
  2. After kufurura, cut your pumpkin leaves up. Put some water (500 ml boiling water) in a pot and add bicarbonate of soda (1 tsp). Close the pot and bring the water to a boil.
  3. Add your cut up pumpkin leaves to the boiling water and close the pot. Bring to the boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally in between. After  5 minutes drain your pumpkin leaves in a colander.
  4. Give your pot a quick rinse (do not rinse the pumpkin leaves) then return the pumpkin leaves to the pot. Add cooking oil (4 tbsp), salt (1 tsp), onions and tomatoes. Stir, reduce heat, close pot  and let simmer until tomatoes and onions are cooked through (about 10 minutes).
  5. Your pumpkin leaves are done. Serve with sadza (pap) and your favourite relish or just as is. Enjoy!
Also see  Mama-Mia Ox Tongue Salad with Croutons

 

Pictorial Detailed Instructions

Step 1
With your muboora (pumpkin leaves) (a), tomatoes and onions ready (b), begin washing your muboora (pumpkin leaves) (c). Give them a thorough wash until you’re satisfied that it’s clean 😀 (I did this 4 times just to be sure! 😀 ) Break of part of the stem and pull of the silk from the pumpkin leaves (d). Do this one leaf at a time. In Shona we call this kufurura.

 

Step 2
After kufurura (a), cut your pumpkin leaves up (b). Put some water in a pot and add bicarbonate of soda (c). Close the pot and bring the water to a boil (d).

 

Step 3
Add your cut up pumpkin leaves to the boiling water (a) and close the pot (b). Bring to the boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally in between (c). After 5 minutes drain your pumpkin leaves in a colander (d).

 

Step 4
Give your pot a quick rinse then return the pumpkin leaves to the pot (a). Add cooking oil, salt, onions and tomatoes (b). Stir (c), reduce heat then close pot and let simmer until tomatoes and onions are cooked through (about 10 minutes) (d).

 

Step 5
Your pumpkin leaves are done. Serve with sadza (pap) and your favourite relish or just as is. Enjoy!
Delicious Muboora

 

 You just gotta love muboora! The nutrition that comes with this dish is a welcome added bonus. It’s rich in iron and folic acid which are important for many things in our bodies including formation of red blood cells which transport oxygen to the rest of the body.