Mozambique Recipes
An Indian Ocean coast with the best claim to piri-piri. Not sure what to eat in Mozambique? Start with Camarão Grelhado (Grilled LM Prawns), Matapa, Bolo Polana and Badjias. Here are 9 authentic Mozambique recipes, each from a specific region, with cultural context and dietary substitutions for every table.
9 recipes
Frango à ZambezianaMaputo, Mozambique · medium · 3 h 5 minChicken marinated in lemon, garlic and piri-piri with coconut milk, then grilled slowly over calm coals and basted with more coconut until it is gold outside and soft within.
Frango à Zambeziana Frango Piri-PiriMaputo, Mozambique · medium · 5 hButterflied chicken grilled under a lemon-garlic piri-piri baste, the original of a dish the world now queues for.
BadjiasMaputo, Mozambique · easy · 30 minCrisp Mozambican chickpea-flour fritters flecked with onion and served with fiery piri-piri.
MatapaMaputo, Mozambique · medium · 1 h 20 minCassava leaves stewed with peanuts, coconut, and prawns, one of Mozambique's most cherished national dishes.
Bolo PolanaMaputo, Mozambique · medium · 1 h 10 minA rich, moist cake of cashews and potato scented with citrus, named for an elegant Maputo neighborhood.
Camarão Grelhado (Grilled LM Prawns)Maputo, Mozambique · easy · 1 hLarge prawns grilled over charcoal and basted with a fiery, garlicky piri-piri butter, the star of the Mozambican coast.
Mucapata (Zambezian Rice with Mung Beans and Coconut)Maputo, Mozambique · easy · 1 h 5 minRice and hulled mung beans cooked together, then simmered in fresh coconut milk until the liquid is absorbed and the pot turns soft, creamy and almost pudding-like.
Rissóis de Camarão (Mozambican Shrimp Turnovers)Maputo, Mozambique · medium · 2 hHalf-moon turnovers of soft cooked dough filled with prawns in a creamy lemon and parsley sauce, crumbed and fried golden, a fixture of Mozambican petisco menus.
Chamuças (Mozambican Beef Samosas)Maputo, Mozambique · medium · 2 h 25 minCrisp triangular pastries of thin homemade dough filled with minced beef cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, curry and fresh coriander, fried golden and sold on every street corner.
📋 Teaching Mozambique?A free, printable Country of the Week guide for the classroom: geography, a kid-friendly recipe, and discussion prompts.
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