Botswana | Side

Morogo

Name: Morogo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Botswana, Southern Africa
Ingredients: 500 g morogo or wild spinach, washed and chopped; 1 whole onion, chopped; 2 whole tomatoes, diced; 2 tbsp peanut powder; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp salt

Traditional wild spinach greens cooked with tomatoes, onions, and peanut powder — a nutritious everyday dish that connects Batswana to their foraging heritage.

Country

Botswana

Region

Southern Africa

Time

35 min

Serves

Level

easy

Start cooking Explore Botswana 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 4

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

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Side

500 g morogo or wild spinach, washed and chopped [Sub: regular spinach or amaranth leaves] 1 whole onion, chopped 2 whole tomatoes, diced 2 tbsp peanut powder [Sub: ground roasted peanuts] 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp salt

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

Knife & board

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

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

Back to Botswana

5 steps 15 min prep 20 min cook (check method) 35 min total easy

Sauté onion

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Sauté onion 03:00

Add tomatoes

Add the diced tomatoes and cook until they break down into a sauce, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook tomatoes 05:00

Cook the greens

Add the chopped morogo to the pot. Stir well, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until the greens are tender and wilted, stirring occasionally.

Kitchen noteIf using regular spinach, reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes as it wilts faster.

Cook greens 10:00

Add peanut powder

Sprinkle the peanut powder over the greens and stir thoroughly. Cook for another 3 minutes to allow the peanut flavor to meld with the vegetables. Season with salt.

Kitchen noteThe peanut powder adds protein and a subtle nutty flavor that is characteristic of this dish.

Finish 03:00

Serve

Serve the morogo warm as a side dish alongside pap, bogobe, or seswaa.

Kitchen noteMorogo can also be dried and stored for months — rehydrate in water before cooking.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

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 Everyday meal. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 35 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Pap or bogobe and seswaa

Follow the collection

Vegetarian Africa is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. Vegetarian Africa

Regional lane

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

Chef watch-outs

Overcooking the greens until the color and texture collapse.
Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.

How you know it is ready

Greens should be cooked through but still look alive and glossy.
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.

Morogo recipe from Botswana — Morogo finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Morogo

Pap or bogobe and seswaa

Best route from here

Botswana national table

Collections to keep cooking

Vegetarian African Classics

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