The African Nightshade, also locally known as Managu, is a popular vegetable in Eastern Africa. It is eaten together with the local staple dish, Ugali. Managu is a naturally bitter vegetable and must be prepared specially to eliminate this bitterness.
Ingredients (to serve 3 people)
- Three bunches of Managu
- One chopped onion
- Cooking oil
- 1 cup Whole milk or cream
- Half a teaspoon of salt
Directions
- Remove the leaves from the branches and boil in a sufuria until tender.
- Drain the water.
- In a separate sufuria, fry the chopped onion.
- Add the Managu while stirring.
- Add the salt.
- Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the cream and allow to cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Serve with Ugali
Managu Nutritional Information
The leaves of Managu are highly nutritious consisting of:
- 87.2 g water
- 1.0 mg iron
- 4.3 g protein
- 38 kcalories
- 5.7 g carbohydrates
- 1.4 g fibre
- 442 mg calcium
- 20 mg ascorbic acid
- 3660 µg ß-Carotene
- 75 mg phosphorus
- 0.59 mg riboflavin per 100 g fresh weight.
The leaves also contain high levels of vitamin A, B, and C, and phenolics and alkaloids, including cocaine, quinine, nicotine, and morphine. A diet incorporating Managu is recommended for pregnant or nursing mothers, as it is good for people with iron deficiencies, and malaria patients.
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