Zimbabwe | Stew

Mazondo

Zimbabwean ox trotters slow-cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, and spices until gelatin-rich and tender.

Country
Zimbabwe
Region
Southern Africa
Time
205 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
Start cooking Explore Zimbabwe recipes
01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to methodMy cookbook

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Zimbabwe
4 steps 25 min prep 180 min cook (check method) 205 min total medium
1
Simmer trotters
Boil trotters in water until very tender, skimming as needed.
simmer 130:00
2
Cook base
Cook onion, garlic, tomatoes, curry powder, oil, salt, and pepper into a gravy.
base 15:00
3
Combine
Add tender trotters and some cooking liquid to the gravy.
combine 20:00
4
Reduce
Simmer until glossy and sticky.
reduce 15:00

Some cooks keep mazondo very plain with salt, while others add tomatoes, curry powder, or a richer gravy.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas
Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for weekend meals, beerhall-style plates, and cold-weather comfort.. Plan on a medium cook. Allow about 205 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Sadza, muriwo, cabbage, or chili.

Regional lane

Zimbabwe national table. A structured Zimbabwe dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
  • Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
How you know it is ready
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Mazondo recipe from Zimbabwe
Mazondo finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Mazondo

Sadza, muriwo, cabbage, or chili.

Best route from here

Zimbabwe national table

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