Ingredients
- 1kg
Meat (preferably beef shank)
You can also use chicken or fish - 500g
Bredes Mafana (green plant leaves)
- 3 thin slices
Ginger
- 1
Onion
- 1
Garlic Clove
- 2
Tomatoes
- 10ml
Vegetable oil
- to your taste
Salt & Pepper
Directions
Romazava which is pronounced “rumaza” or “roumazave” is a traditional dish of the Malagasy cuisine, also popular in Comoros. Romazava is a dish made of meat or fish and Mafana breasts.
It is a great classic of the Malagasy cuisine and a recipe to be tested absolutely! It will leave you a delicious taste and feeling in your mouth!
What is the Brede Mafana?
The Mafana Woad (Acmella oleracea, formerly Spilanthes oleracea), also called Cresson du Pará, is a species of herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family.
You can find these green plant leaves in Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find them, you can replace them completely with watercress.
In the west of Madagascar, mafane breeds are called kimalao. It is a species essentially cultivated in South America (Brazil and Peru).
The flowers of mafana bredes and their small yellow buttons have a rather pungent taste. Be careful not to use too much if you are sensitive to anything spicy!
Variations of the Romazava recipe
There are many ways to prepare Romazava depending on the region of Madagascar. You can perfectly use beef, chicken, fish or even shrimps! You can also replace totally or partially the Brède Mafane with watercress.
Some people also add bird’s eye chili, or mix beef and chicken.
How to accompany Romazava ?
You can accompany your Romazava with white rice (without salt!) and a fresh crushed tomato to refresh your palate. For the greediest, you can sprinkle your rice with the broth of your homemade Romazava or even serve yourself a bowl of broth on the side.
Don’t hesitate to try this amazing Malagasy recipe!
Enjoy your meal 🙂
Steps
1 Done | Cooking the meatIn a stewpot or a large saucepan, heat a little oil and brown your cubed meats over high heat. |
2 Done 5min | Chop your garlic clove, chop your onion and crush your tomatoes. Add everything to the pan with the meat and let it brown for 5 minutes until it is well colored. |
3 Done 45min | Add salt and pepper to taste and cover your meat, garlic, onion, tomatoes and ginger with water. Boil your Romazava for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer covered for about 45 minutes. |
4 Done 30min | Add the mafana breastsAfter the 45 minutes of cooking, your meat should start to be tender. Add your 500g of Mafana brèdes previously rinsed with cold water. Simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes over medium heat. At the end of the cooking time, the sauce should be quite reduced and the meat quite tender. |
5 Done | Your Homemade Romazava is cooked!That's it, your Madagascan Romazava is cooked! Romazava is usually accompanied by white rice, chilli and a rougail. Taste before adding the chilli. Indeed the flowers of mafana breeds are already a little bit hot! Everything will depend on you. Enjoy your meal! |
