Home » Traditional Zimbabwean Madora (mopane worms) in peanut butter
Madora in peanut butter

Traditional Zimbabwean Madora (mopane worms) in peanut butter

2-3 Servings ~ 10 minutes
  • 250g Mopane Worms
  • 500 ml boiling water
  • 90 ml white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • Oil for frying

Madora/ Amacimbi (mopane worms) are part of our cuisine here in Zimbabwe. However, it’s not everyone who eats them as some have a fear-factor associated with them. As for those who do eat them, they enjoy them to the last bite! This is another way of preparing them in addition to having them just fried or in a stew.

Quick Instructions

  1. Get your main ingredients ready, which are peanut butter (3 tbsp), onions (1/2 onion, chopped) and mopane worms (250g).  Soak your mopane worms in boiling water (500 ml), salt (2 tsp) and vinegar (90ml, white vinegar) for about 2 hours. After 2 hrs, drain and put the mopane worms in a pot. Add a little bit of water, close pot and bring to the boil for 5 minutes.
  2. Use a colander to drain off any excess water. Heat oil in the pot, add the onions and soy sauce (1 tsp) . Fry for a minute.
  3. Return the mopane worms to the pot and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peanut butter and mix. Your mopane worms in peanut butter are ready. Serve with sadza.
Also see  Traditional Zimbabwean Chicken stew

Pictorial Detailed Instructions

Step 1
Get your main ingredients ready, which are peanut butter, onions (a) and mopane worms. Soak your mopane worms in boiling water, salt and vinegar for about 2 hours (b). After 2 hrs, drain and put the mopane worms in a pot. Add a little bit of water (c), close pot and bring to the boil for 5 minutes (d).

 

Step 2
Use a colander to drain off any excess water. Heat oil in the pot (b), add the onions (c) and soy sauce (d). Fry for a minute.

 

Step 3
Return the mopane worms to the pot and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally (a). Add the peanut butter (b) and mix (c). Your mopane worms in peanut butter are ready (d). Serve with sadza.

 

Madora in peanut butter
Madora in peanut butter

If you prefer yours to be a bit more on the “soup-y” side, you may add tomatoes first at stage 2 before returning the mopane worms to the pot and the rest remains the same. Give these a go and let me know how it turned out.