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Namibian

Oshifima

Vegetarian

A firm porridge of pearl millet (mahangu) flour, the staple of northern Namibia, served with spinach (ekaka), dried fish or meat stews.

Oshifima is a Namibian side dish, ready in about 22 minutes and made with pearl millet flour. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
2 min
Cook
20 min
Total
22 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
287

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring 700 ml of the water to the boil. Mix 75 g of the flour with the remaining cold water and whisk in; cook 3 minutes until like thin porridge.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the remaining flour gradually, beating hard with a wooden spoon until very thick and smooth.

    • 6 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Cover and steam on low, then beat once more and shape into balls with a wet bowl.

    • 8 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Thick porridge spits; stir with a long spoon.

About this dish

Origin
Northern Namibia (Owambo), Namibia · Commonly attributedMore food from Namibia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Porridge & cereals
Cooking method
Boiled
Taste
earthy, nutty, mild
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Pearl millet flour
Techniques
Boiling

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

287 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 300 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 11%
  • Carbohydrate 79%
  • Fat 10%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy287 kcal96 kcal
Protein8.1 g2.7 g
Carbohydrate56.3 g18.8 g
Net carbohydrate53.7 g17.9 g
Sugars1.2 g0.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.6 g0.9 g
Fat3.2 g1.1 g
Saturated fat0.4 g0.1 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol——
Sodium8 mg3 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
168 mg
Calcium
33 mg
Iron
3 mg
Magnesium
94 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
32 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.
  • “—” 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

  • Wet the bowl and your hands with cold water to shape smooth balls.

Common mistakes

  • Not starting with a thin slurry — the porridge goes lumpy.

Serve with

  • Serve with ekaka (spinach), kapana or a beef stew.

Storage

  • Best freshly made.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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

Used in step 1

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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