🥔 SIDE
Therere (Malawian Okra Relish)
Sliced okra, pumpkin leaves and tomato cooked fast in a little salted water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda until soft, foamy and pleasantly slippery, the everyday relish served beside nsima.
Malawian · easy · serves 4
prep 15 min · cook 15 min
~66 cal · 4g protein · 14g carbs · 0g fat · 6g fiber · 5g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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A Malawian meal is built from two parts: nsima, the stiff white maize porridge, and ndiwo, the relish that goes with it, whether vegetables, beans, fish or meat. Therere, , is one of the relishes families reach for most often, because it is easy to find in villages all over Malawi, and it is usually eaten with nsima on its own, with no other relish needed.
The Malawian way with uses a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in a very little boiling water. The soda softens the and the greens quickly and makes the pot foam up as it cooks. Cooks layer in the , then the leaves, then the tomato, and lift and turn it gently with a wooden spoon so the does not break up too much.
Pumpkin leaves are the classic green to cook with it, and moringa leaves are used too; cooks away from Malawi use spinach. leaves are cooked the same way, sometimes with groundnut flour stirred in for a richer relish. A piece of nsima, pinched off and pressed into a scoop with the fingers, carries the therere to the mouth.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
- 300 g (about 3 cups) fresh , thinly sliced into rounds
- 200 g (1 large bunch) pumpkin leaves, stems peeled, finely chopped, or moringa leaves or spinach
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped, optional
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) water
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
- 1Bring the water to the boil in a wide pot with the salt and the bicarbonate of soda.✎ Chef’s noteUse very little water: the okra and leaves release plenty of their own as they cook.
- 2Layer in the okra first, then the pumpkin leaves, then the tomatoes and onion. Keep the heat at medium and do not stir yet.
- 3Cook for about 10 minutes, watching the pot, as the soda makes it foam up. When the foam rises, lift and turn the vegetables gently with a wooden spoon so it settles.✎ Chef’s noteStir by lifting from the bottom rather than beating hard, or the okra breaks up into a paste.
- 4Cook for 3 to 5 minutes more, until the okra is soft, the leaves are tender and the foam no longer climbs up the pot. Taste for salt.
- 5Serve hot with nsima, pinching off a piece of nsima and using it to scoop up the relish.
Malawian home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Lilongwe. Lilongwe pairs nsima, the stiff maize staple, with chambo, the prized tilapia of Lake Malawi, grilled or stewed. Pumpkin leaves cooked with groundnut flour, beans, and dried fish complete the everyday plate.
🗺️
Malawi. Ndiwo is the word for the relish, and it does the work of making nsima into a meal: pumpkin leaves or cassava leaves pounded and cooked with groundnut flour, or beans, or fish. Nsima is turned with a wooden spoon until it is stiff enough to hold a thumbprint, and a piece is used to scoop.
🌍
Africa. Africa's fifty-four nations hold cuisines as different as Morocco's slow-cooked tagines and South Africa's open-fire braai, yet shared threads run through them: ancient grains like millet, sorghum, and teff; stews thickened with groundnut, okra, or palm; and fiery condiments from Tunisian harissa to Ethiopian berbere. Staple starches, fufu, injera, ugali, couscous, anchor communal meals often eaten by hand from a shared dish, where hospitality is a point of honor.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Malawi
Grilled Chambo with NsimaLake Malawi's prized chambo fish, grilled whole, with nsima and a tomato-onion relish.
ZitumbuwaMalawian banana fritters: very ripe bananas bound with a little cornmeal and deep-fried into sweet, golden, craggy morsels.
MkhwaniTender pumpkin leaves simmered with groundnut flour into a creamy green relish, eaten with nsima across Malawi.
Browse all Malawi recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Pot or saucepan.
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Therere (Malawian Okra Relish)?
Sliced okra, pumpkin leaves and tomato cooked fast in a little salted water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda until soft, foamy and pleasantly slippery, the everyday relish served beside nsima.
Where does Therere (Malawian Okra Relish) come from?
Therere (Malawian Okra Relish) is a Malawian dish from Lilongwe, Malawi.
Can Therere (Malawian Okra Relish) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Therere (Malawian Okra Relish) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Therere (Malawian Okra Relish) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Therere (Malawian Okra Relish) take to make?
About 30 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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