1
Simmer trotters
Boil trotters in water until very tender, skimming as needed.
simmer
130:00
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
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Mazondo is Zimbabwean slow food: ox trotters cooked patiently until the collagen softens into a sticky, rich sauce that belongs with sadza.
What the dish tastes like
Zimbabwean ox trotters slow-cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, and spices until gelatin-rich and tender.
When to cook it
Best for Best for weekend meals, beerhall-style plates, and cold-weather comfort., with a medium cooking level and about 205 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
Sadza, muriwo, cabbage, or chili.
Regional lane
Zimbabwe national table. A verified 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
Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.
Chef board
Build the table around Mazondo
Sadza, muriwo, cabbage, or chili.
Best route from here
Zimbabwe national table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
4 steps
205 min total
medium
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.