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Malagasy

Romazava

Non-vegetarian

Madagascar's best-known everyday dish: beef simmered with tomato, ginger and a big pile of leafy greens into a light, brothy stew, always eaten over plenty of rice.

Romazava is a Malagasy stew from Madagascar, ready in about 2 hours and made with beef chuck, watercress and spinach. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Romazava meat and leafy greens stew in a pan with rice and relish
Photo: Z thomas / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 40 min
Total
2 h
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
278

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches until coloured on all sides.

    Food safety: Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat food and wash hands and boards after handling.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and ginger and fry for 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and cook until they collapse.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the water, add the salt, cover and simmer gently until the beef is very tender.

    • 75 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the greens, pushing them under the broth, and cook uncovered just until wilted and bright. Taste for salt.

    • 6 min
    • medium heat

  5. Step 5

    Ladle the beef, greens and broth over bowls of plain rice.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Madagascar · Well documentedWidely regarded as Madagascar's national dish; recipes vary by family and region.More food from Madagascar
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Stewed, Simmered
    Taste
    savoury, fresh, peppery
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
    With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Everyday · Budget-friendly
    Cook more with
    Beef chuck · Watercress · Spinach · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger
    Techniques
    Simmering · Stewing

    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

    278 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 644 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 51%
    • Carbohydrate 15%
    • Fat 33%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy278 kcal43 kcal
    Protein36.9 g5.7 g
    Carbohydrate11.1 g1.7 g
    Net carbohydrate7.8 g1.2 g
    Sugars4 g0.6 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre3.3 g0.5 g
    Fat10.7 g1.7 g
    Saturated fat3.1 g0.5 g
    Trans fat0.4 g0.1 g
    Cholesterol96 mg15 mg
    Sodium1076 mg167 mg
    Salt equivalent2.7 g0.4 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    1351 mg
    Calcium
    188 mg
    Iron
    5.4 mg
    Magnesium
    112 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    414 µg
    Vitamin C
    55 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.2 µg
    Vitamin B12
    3.5 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    150 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: long-grain white rice.
    • “—” 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

    • If you can find fresh or frozen brèdes mafane in an Asian or African grocer, use a handful: it gives the authentic mouth-tingling effect.

    Common mistakes

    • Adding the greens too early turns them grey and muddy; they need only a few minutes.

    Serve with

    • Serve with lots of plain rice and a little sakay (Malagasy chilli paste) on the side.

    Storage

    • Keeps 3 days in the fridge; the greens soften further but the flavour improves.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently on the stove until piping hot.

    Variations

    • Romazava with pork (Madagascar): Use half pork shoulder for a fattier, richer broth, a common choice in the highlands.

    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 steps 1, 2, 4, 5

    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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