Adventures with Tanzanian vegetables

Last year, I really focused on trying to make American foods for my family at home (well, Tanzanian versions of American foods due to the necessity of substitution or revision!)  I figured that we had enough adjustment issues going on without giving up all the comforts of home.  However, this year, I'm going to try and take more advantage of Tanzanian-specific produce and dishes.

My first initiative was to cook magimbi (white yam).  I've always seen these in the market and been too shy to try them.  They look very imposing from the outside, with a thick, almost woody exterior.  Once you slice them, they are very pretty with white and purple speckles.

It was a bit of work to peel off the exterior.  Once cutting into them, I realized how incredibly starchy they are!  The knife I used was absolutely coated with a white, sap-like substance, and my hands were sticky just by handling them.

I simply prepared them like a potato - first peeling and chopping them, then boiling them.  Once they boiled, the color changed from the white/purple speckle to all purple.  Again, due to the high starch content, the cooking water was very frothy.

I found the taste like an incredibly starchy potato.  It was a bland taste, but a very different, almost creamy, dense texture.  I also felt like my mouth was drier after eating it.  Due to the high starch content, they were very filling.  I can see why these are popular among Tanzanians, because they keep you full and are very inexpensive (less than $1 a pound).

I don't know if he was just really hungry, but Josh was crazy for these!  He had about 4 helpings and raved about how delicious they were (and even chowed down some leftovers a couple of days later!) Charlotte didn't really care for them, and Tim, Emily and I were fairly neutral.  I would say that I'd still prefer a standard potato, but I certainly had no problem eating them.

Today, our gardener, Ayubu, proudly presented me with a LARGE bunch of mchicha (kind of like spinach) that, unbeknownst to me, has apparently been growing in our yard.

Per my friend Heidi's tutorial, I fried some onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes and salt and stir fried the mchicha with them until tender.  Unfortunately, it was not a win with the kids as they complained of an "after-taste."  Tim and I didn't mind it, although I do prefer regular spinach more.  I think I'll try the rest of the mchicha raw in a salad tomorrow and see what the reaction is.