Morogo

Name: Morogo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 500 g amaranth leaves, washed and chopped; 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1 green chilli, chopped (optional); ¾ tsp salt

Vegetarian

Wild greens such as amaranth, cooked down with onion and tomato into a simple, savoury relish eaten with pap across Botswana and South Africa.

Morogo is a Botswanan side dish, ready in about 30 minutes and made with amaranth leaves, onion and tomato. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 30 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy
Calories: 81

Ingredients

4 servings

500 g Amaranth leaves (opens in a new tab), washed and choppedSwap: Spinach; Swiss chard; Pumpkin leaves
1 tbsp (14 g) Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab)
1 (110 g) Onion (opens in a new tab), chopped
2 (240 g) Tomatoes (opens in a new tab), chopped
1 (6 g) Green chilli (opens in a new tab), chopped (optional)
¾ tsp (4.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)

Equipment

Saucepan (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Wilt the greens in a covered pan with a splash of water, then drain off excess liquid.
- 6 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
In the same pan soften the onion (opens in a new tab) in the oil, add the tomato (opens in a new tab) and chilli and cook until pulpy.
- 8 min
- medium heat
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels
3
Step 3
Return the greens with the salt and cook, stirring, until soft and well combined.
- 5 min
- low heat

About this dish

Origin: Southern Africa · Origin uncertainMorogo (Setswana/Sesotho) and imifino (Nguni) name a family of wild leafy greens eaten throughout southern Africa.Also popular in Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes
Cooking method: Sautéed, Simmered
Taste: earthy, savoury, fresh
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Budget-friendly · Everyday · One-pot
Cook more with: Amaranth leaves · Onion · Tomato
Techniques: Sautéing · Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

81 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 217 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 17%
Carbohydrate 43%
Fat 39%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	81 kcal	37 kcal
Protein	3.9 g	1.8 g
Carbohydrate	9.9 g	4.6 g
Net carbohydrate	—	—
Sugars	—	—
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	—	—
Fat	4 g	1.8 g
Saturated fat	0.4 g	0.2 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	466 mg	215 mg
Salt equivalent	1.2 g	0.5 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 946 mg
Calcium: 281 mg
Iron: 3.1 mg
Magnesium: 78 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 208 µg
Vitamin C: 64 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 120 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: green chilli.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Dried morogo is also sold; soak it before cooking.

Common mistakes

Not draining the wilted greens — the relish turns watery.

Serve with

Serve with pap and seswaa, or with chakalaka at a braai.

Storage

Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

Reheating

Reheat briefly in a pan.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Amaranth leaves, washed and chopped500 g
Tomato, chopped2 piece · 240 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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