Today I made African Polony popularly acknowledged as Chikanda.It was my second attempt making chikanda but at this point,I feel like a specialist when it comes to cooking chikanda.
How Chikanda/African Polony is made.
Chikanda is made from orchids.The orchids are dried and pounded.when it’s cooked it is blended with pounded ground nuts and dry chili pepper.
Today I made African Polony popularly acknowledged as Chikanda.It was my second attempt making chikanda but at this point,I feel like a specialist when it comes to cooking chikanda.
History Of Chikanda
Chikanda is a popular snack in northern Province of Zambia, traditionally related with the bemba tribe from northern province.
Recently it’s being enjoyed up through out the country.
Chikanda is served as snacks or relish.
After cooking it,you can cut it in slices then eat it or you can fry it then add tomatoes and onions.
Chikanda can be eaten with nshima(pap) as a relish.
Chikanda is everyone’s favored even vegetarians,in reality vegetarians consider it as their meat(I do not blame them)
Words cannot specific how scrumptious chikanda is.
You can not come to Zambia then return without tasting this scrumptious snack.
Years ago chikanda only used to be bought in streets and nearby markets but things have now changed.
They are now offered in all places which includes work places and schools.
Chikanda obtained it is name(African Polony) due to the fact that it has a meat-like consistency.
In fact,when it’s cut perfectly, you would certainly suppose it’s Polony.
Check out this recipe
Chikanda|African Polony
Equipment
- Brazier
- Mortar
- Pestle
- Pot
- Stainless Steel Mesh Sieve
Ingredients
- 1 Cup pounded chikanda
- 2 Cups pounded groundnuts
- 500-800 mls of water
- 1 Teaspoon of soda
Instructions
- Pound your ground nuts and chikanda using a mortar and a pestle separately,sieve using a stainless steel mesh sieve. (You can buy already pounded ground nuts and chikanda at your local market or at a food shop).
- Boil water in a pot,when the water is warm make a thick paste with grounded groundnuts then let the paste cook for 20 minutes.after 20 minutes you can start adding your pounded Chikanda bit by bit while continuously stirring.Add salt,soda and a bit of chilli(chilli is optional so you can opt out of using it). continue stirring until your chikanda gets hard and stop sticking to the cooking stick.
- Add a bit of soda in water then dip your cooking stick in water then start hitting the chikanda on top making a smooth ball.remove the chikanda from the brazier and get some charcoal from the brazier,add the chikanda pot back to the stove,add the charcoal you had removed from the brazier on top of the lid(the purpose of this is to make sure that the chikanda is baked on top).
- Wait for 5 minutes before removing the fire from the lid.Remove the pot from the brazier and wait til the chikanda is cool. When the chikanda is cook remove it from the pot(you basically just have to turn the pot upside down and your chikanda will fall on the plate) Cut the chikanda into pieces and serve or you can fry them and add tomatoes,onions and peppers of your choice. When you fry it you can serve with nshima(pap) or you can serve with rice or eat it as snacks.
Notes
I didn’t have soda so I used bicarbonate of soda, the chikanda came out well.