Chocolate Breakfast Sadza (maize porridge)

Chocolate Breakfast Sadza

Okay, so the lovely warm weather in the UK has finally decided it’s time to disappear… just as the school holidays start! How can it be 26 degrees (c) one day and 11 the next?! Oh and the rain! It actually rained non-stop ALL day on Friday! ALL day! From when I woke until when I slept (which was probably actually Saturday 😛 ) It’s raining again now! Non-stop rain which looks like it’s here for the day… great for my tomatoes but maybe not for the wedding I’m going to! This recipe is thus perfect for breakfast on such days! Or maybe brunch (as it is the holidays)! 😛 :). I actually made this recipe for the first time a while ago but being so busy I didn’t have time to post it until now!

Sadza! Traditionally sadza is an African staple food which is served with savoury foods. Sadza is commonly made from white maize meal – not yellow corn meal / polenta. It took me a while to be able to source this but I finally found it in a local Asian store. I was first introduced to sadza back in 2000 when I was fortunate to be placed in a shared flat with a Zimbabwean lady who has since become one of my very wonderful friends 🙂 So, how did this come about? Well as is often the case in the UK it was a rainy morning! The obvious breakfast choice was porridge, but with hardly any oats left (I was experimenting with crunchy cereal bars) I realised that wasn’t going to happen! My eye fell on the bag of maize meal and I thought ‘sadza’ that’s porridge! 🙂 So it was created… not wanting a savoury version, it was obvious I had to dress it up a bit so trial and error and taste after taste until it was perfect! This is a sweet sadza with actual cacao in it – not just chocolate sadza by name as you may find elsewhere! 😛 🙂

Gather

• 100g white maize meal
• 1 teaspoon cacao
• 2 teaspoons carob powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• pinch of salt (optional)
• 100ml cold water
• 100ml milk (I use unsweetened carton coconut milk)
• 200ml boiling water
• 1 teaspoon date syrup
• Favourite toppings – optional

Prepare

1. Put the maize meal with the cacao, carob, cinnamon, sugar and salt (if using) in a saucepan.
   

   Put all of the dry ingredients into a medium sized saucepan.
2. Add 100ml of water and mix to a paste.
   

   Add water and stir until combined.

   

   You should get a thick paste like consistency.
3. Using a low heat add the milk and the boiling water and stir until you have a smooth porridge with no lumps.
   

   Add the milk and stir continuously.

   

   The porridge will start to come together.

   

   Resulting in a lovely thick porridge 🙂
4. Watch carefully, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens, add the date syrup and continue cooking. Total cooking time should be 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and put into bowls.
6. Add your favourite toppings – coconut, fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, cacao nibs.

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7. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

• I have been told it is traditional to eat sadza from a communal bowl. Usually you would roll it into a ball using your fingers and then dip (or roll) it in your food (or toppings in this case). Desiccated coconut and chopped nuts spring to mind yumyum!
• I think this should be made and eaten immediately as I’m not sure how you would reheat it properly – presumably you could add more liquid (it’s quite a thick porridge) and stir vigorously!
• Serve with a side of your favourite milk (or cream), blueberries, strawberries, banana, raspberries or whatever other fresh fruit you enjoy in the morning.
• Top with cacao nibs, coconut, linseeds, raisins, nuts or even granola!

Chocolate Sadza by Life Diet Health 2015