Food from the Earth: Rwandan Sweet Potatoes with Bosco Mugabe

Learn how to prepare traditional Rwandan sweet potatoes in an earthen oven with Bosco Mugabe, Trip Experience Leader for Rwanda: Mountain Gorillas in the Land of a Thousand Hills, at a farm in his home village—from the initial harvest to the final tasting. And read on for a traditional Rwandan recipe, no earthen oven required.

“The most extensive land is the human belly,” goes an old Rwandan saying. The people of Rwanda usually eat simple, satisfying meals using fresh, local ingredients. Not at all spicy, Rwandan cuisine mostly revolves around sweet potatoes (which were introduced by German settlers), beans, maize, peas, millet, plantains, cassava, and fruit—and very little meat.

The recipe below is a traditional Rwandan dish prepared with chicken, vegetables, and plantains. Its name, igisafuliya, means “pot” in Kinyarwanda, the Rwandan language.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 4 bell peppers, seeded and cut
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 5 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 plantains, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then cut in half
• 10 oz spinach, fresh or frozen
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 hot pepper (optional)
• Salt and pepper (as needed)

Preparation:

1. In a pot with hot oil, sear the chicken thighs over medium-high heat to color on all sides.


2. Add the onions, leeks, and peppers, and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.


3. Add the tomatoes, celery, and tomato paste and mix well. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring as needed.


4. Cover with water, add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.


5. Remove 2 pieces of chicken, place the plantains in the pot, cover them with the spinach and put the chicken back on top. Add water if necessary so that the plantains are fully submerged.


6. Add the whole hot pepper (if you wish), then cover and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes. The liquid should not evaporate too much during cooking, as there should be a lot of sauce left.

Servings: 4

Taste typical Rwandan cuisine alongside a local family during A Day in the Life of a Rwandan Reconciliation Village when you join O.A.T. for Rwanda: Mountain Gorillas in the Land of a Thousand Hills.