Managu, as it is known in the Kikuyu language, Risutsa (risudza) or namasaka in the Mulembe nation (Luhya language), or African Nightshade, is a delightful vegetable eaten in Kenya.
Despite its taste which can be quite bitter depending on the type you come across, it is still a preferred delicacy in some parts of our country.
We have even found ways to tone down the bitter taste to make Risutsa even more tasty.
Managu goes so well with ugali. It is part of the group of foods commonly known as kienyeji in our country. Kienyeji is a Swahili word referring to our indigenous foods. This means Managu or Risutsa is considered part of Kenya’s indigenous diet.
Nutritonal Value:
With growing dietary concerns across the world, Managu is continuing to gain popularity as a preferred vegetable.
The African Nightshade or Risudza is a nutritious vegetable, containing fibre, vitamins, minerals, and some proteins.
Knowing how to prepare it is key. You’re probably here because you’d like to prepare the Black nightshade in a way that you and your household will enjoy.
You also want to prepare Managu so that you will not lose the nutrients within it.
If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll show you all this.
I’ll also show you how to enrich your Risutsa or Managu to make it delicious.
Join me for today’s recipe and I trust you will enjoy this one!
Easy Managu Recipe Without Overcooking| Risudza| African Nightshade
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 knife
- 2 bowls for washing
Ingredients
- 2 bunches Managu (African Nightshade) -
- 1 medium size onion
- 1 medium size tomato
- 1 tsp tomato paste - In the absence of tomato paste use an extra medium size tomato
- 1 clove finely grated fresh garlic
- 4 to 5 tbsps cooking oil to fry
- salt to taste - About ½ tsp
- spices of choice - I used ½ tsp each curry powder and royco, and ¾ tsp paprika
- ½ to 1 cup fresh or cooking cream
Instructions
- Begin working on your Managu by separating the leafy vegetable from its hard stem by cutting the leaves off the stem with your hands. You can then cut off the budding leaves at the tip without being too careful to cut off that part of the stem closest to the bud. It’s softer here so you can cut these tender vegetables at the bud with the stem and add them to your leaves.
- Thoroughly wash the vegetables by dipping them in a bowl full of water until they are submerged in the water. Rub them as much as possible to ensure any dirt is removed in the process.Transfer to another bowl full of water and clean the same way. In case they are not yet very clean, wash them a third time. Transfer to a clean bowl, tray, or dish, ensuring to drain out the water from the vegetables.
- Loosely cut up the Managu. You don’t have to cut them up too finely. They will still be okay if you cut them up to reduce the size since some managu have wide leaves.Usually, I’ll skip this stage but because you might not have grown up eating Managu or Risutsa, you may not like cooking it when the leaves are that big. We grew up not cutting up our Managu.
- In a suitable saucepan, begin to fry the onion in the cooking oil, stirring frequently until tender and just starting to turn a light golden color. Add the garlic and fry until the garlic and onion are lightly golden.
- Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir until evenly mixed into the onion mixture. Cover the pan, lower the heat significantly, and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the tomatoes get tender.
- Uncover, stir the mixture, ensuring that the tomatoes are breaking down further to form some kind of puree. Stir in the salt and spices. Cover again and let the spices cook for another 2 minutes so the spices can cook and blend in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir the tomato puree and add the vegetables. Cover the pan. Lower the heat slightly and let the vegetables cook for 2 to 3 minutes. They'll reduce in size and will be easier to stir and turn.
- Uncover and stir the vegetables, ensuring that all the ingredients evenly mix. Bring the mixture to a simmer.Cover and allow to cook on low heat another 2 minutes or so.
- Uncover and stir in the cream, again ensuring that all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Bring everything to a simmer.
- Cover again and slightly lower the heat. Let the managu cook another minute for the cream to melt into the vegetables and blend in well.
- After a minute, give the vegetables a final stir. Your managu is now ready. Serve with a suitable accompaniment such as ugali. Enhance your hospitality for the glory of God.