The insect protein is known by many names in different languages and is considered a staple in Southern African cuisine. Kamogelo Maleka is the founder of KM Cooking Obsession, a catering business that is based in Pretoria, and she shares her recipe for stew mopani worms.
Before Maleka even dreamed of creating here own food business, it was her sister, Evah, who taught her all the tricks of the kitchen back home in Dennilton, Mpumalanga. She was just 12 years old, but she still vividly remembers the day she was taught to cook pap.
Two days later she nailed a dish of pap and cabbage and she automatically became the best cook in the house.
Where passions collide
After matriculating from Edward Phatudi Comprehensive School in 2014, she worked at Virgin Active Kids Gym (Club-V). Since then she knew that she wanted to work with children. In 2018 Maleka applied to study education part-time at the University of South Africa, specialising in grade R to 3.
“Honestly speaking, I didn’t know what I wanted to do until I was given an opportunity to work with children as a Club-V attendant. And that is where my love for working with children grew. I chose it because I realised being around them makes me happy and brings the best out in me.”
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Asked how she juggles between educating learners and her food passion, Maleka says, “It is exhausting sometimes, especially since I am studying part-time. Most of the things I have to do on my own. But it feels awesome, because I get to learn about new things every day when I study.”
To bring her love for both food and children together, Maleka plans to educate her learners about healthy eating habits.
“Being well-informed about food would make it easier for me to teach my children about healthy eating. I will teach them about different kinds of cuisines.”
Make Maleka’s mopani recipe
Learning new things in and outside the kitchen is what keeps Maleka going daily. And when she is not playing netball or spending time with her friends, Maleka is busy whipping up a new recipe. She is always up for a challenge in the kitchen and this time around she’s tried out an authentic Mzansi recipe – mopani worms!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup of mopani worms
- 3 tomatoes (2 cubed and 1 grated)
- 1 medium onion
- 3 teaspoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Salt to taste
- 1/3 cup of water
Instructions
- Soak your worms in warm water for 3 hours. Drain the water and put them aside.
- Sauté the onion in a pan until soft and add the grated and diced tomatoes.
- Add the sugar and salt and let it cook for five minutes on medium heat.
- Add your mopani worms, pour in 1/3 cup of water and close the lid.
- Let it simmer on medium heat until the gravy is nice and thick.
- Serve with pap or enjoy as a snack.
