Zambian cuisine is largely comfort food made with passion and heart. In Zambia, Kandolo is the Nyanja word for “sweet potato”, a nutritious vegetable popular in various parts of Africa. This Kandolo dish is prepared with a special blend of spices and sesame seeds. The spice mix consists of a combination of ground spices such as red sweet pepper, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. These add a warm flavour to the dish.
You can purchase ready-prepared spice mix or make your own by blending all your spices together and storing in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place away from direct light.
Recipe by: GOLD Restaurant
Serves: 6 (side dish or party snack)
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 7-10 minutes (steaming), 2-3 minutes deep-frying
Ingredients
T = Tablespoon
t = teaspoon
- 500 g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 t mixed spice
- 2 t cinnamon, finely ground
- 1 t salt
- 5 T brown sugar
- 200 g cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 t Baking powder
- corn flour as needed
- 250 g sesame seeds
- Oil for frying
Method
- Place sweet potato in a steam basket on a high heat and steam for 7-10 minutes or until soft.
- Add the brown sugar and mix it into the softened sweet potato.
- Remove from the heat, place the softened sweet potato in a separate bowl and leave to cool.
- Add the remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.
- Mould the mixture into evenly sized balls approximately 2 centimetres in diameter.
- Roll each ball in sesame seeds until evenly coated.
- In a saucepan, deep-fry the Kandalo balls on a high heat until golden brown.
Tip: There are many different ways to steam vegetables. The steaming method depends on what you have available in your kitchen. In addition to a steam basked you can also use a steamer appliance, a pan with a small amount of boiling water or a microwave.
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