Mutakura - Peanut and Beans Dish from Zimbabwe

By
Freda Muyambo
Freda Muyambo
Freda Muyambo
Celebrated food writer and blogger focusing on African cuisine. She has published recipes since 2011 on her blog My Burnt Orange.
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Updated on 01/18/23
Bambara or Jugo beans
Bambara or Jugo beans mzansistylecuisine.co.za
Prep: 12 hrs
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 14 hrs
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Yield: 1 1/3 pounds
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
676 Calories
60g Fat
22g Carbs
24g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 676
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 60g 77%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 954mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 137mg 11%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 738mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Mutakura, as it is known in Shona, is a peanut and beans dish that is certain to bring on nostalgic emotions. To many in Southern and other parts of Africa, this meal was what boarding school was all about and can be made in a variety of ways using corn and beans or hominy (samp) as in South Africa's umngqusho. In fact, Zita from Cameroon jokes about the Central African variation of this dish and calls it cornchaff with weevils; the weevils adding an extra protein punch to the dish. We do not think weevils were the intended ingredient, however, when mass cooking for students, you must sympathize with the cooks who may have found it too laborious to pick out every single weevil. But this sure does bring back memories.

When examining the ingredients in this dish, one can assume this is a complete beans dish, considering that peanuts are in fact legumes. On the other hand, the bamabara beans used in this dish are known in many African countries as round nuts or bambara nuts. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to obtain bambara nuts outside of the African continent. A suitable substitution is black-eyed peas or cowpeas.

Ingredients

  • 180 grams (6 ounces) raw shelled peanuts

  • 500 grams (about 1 pound) bambara nuts

  • 10 cups water, for boiling

  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. The first step is to pre-soak the bambara nuts and peanuts separately in cold water, preferably for at least 12 hours or overnight.

  3. When ready to cook, drain the bambara nuts and top up with water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring this to a boil and simmer for 50 minutes.

  4. At this point, drain, then add the peanuts, remaining salt, and additional water to the bambara beans and boil for the remaining 1 hour and 10 minutes.

  5. After the cooking process is complete, taste for seasoning and ensure the peanuts and beans are cooked well.

  6. Enjoy as a snack or side dish. 

Tip

Since it is extremely difficult to obtain bambara nuts outside of the African continent a good substitution is black-eyed peas or cowpeas.