Local Dishes

1. Nsima

   Nsima (stiff maize porridge, the staple)

   Usage

   The national staple at almost every meal; tear off a piece with the right hand, roll it into a ball and dip it in the relish

   Grammar Note

   The Chichewa spelling is nsima (Zambia writes nshima). The dictionary glosses it as a porridge of sorghum or maize.

2. Kondowole

   Kondowole (stiff cassava porridge, eaten mainly in the north)

   Usage

   A sticky cassava staple of the north, normally eaten with fish

   Grammar Note

   A staple like nsima, but made from cassava flour rather than maize.

3. Chambo

   Chambo (the best-known Lake Malawi fish, similar to bream)

   Usage

   The best-known fish of Lake Malawi, typically served with nsima

   Grammar Note

   A species name. The general word for fish is nsomba (class 9).

4. Usipa

   Usipa (tiny sardine-like fish of Lake Malawi, often dried)

   Usage

   Cheap small fish, often dried and eaten as the relish with nsima

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary glosses it as the Lake Malawi sardine.

5. Mpasa

   Mpasa (the "lake salmon" of Lake Malawi)

   Usage

   A lake fish nicknamed "lake salmon" because it resembles salmon

   Grammar Note

   A species name; the spelling follows English-language references.

6. Kampango

   Kampango (catfish of Lake Malawi)

   Usage

   Lake Malawi catfish, eaten as a relish with nsima

   Grammar Note

   A species name.

7. Utaka

   Utaka (small Lake Malawi fish)

   Usage

   Small lake fish sold in markets and served in eateries

   Grammar Note

   A species name.

8. Mlamba

   Mlamba (African sharptooth catfish)

   Usage

   Large catfish caught in rivers and the lake

   Grammar Note

   A species name.

9. Batala

   Batala (the catfish called "butter fish")

   Usage

   A catfish known by the English name "butter fish"

   Grammar Note

   A species name.

10. Kapenta

    Kapenta (small fish, usually dried, eaten as a relish)

    Usage

    A small-fish relish eaten with nsima; cheap and filling

    Grammar Note

    A fish name listed among Malawian dishes in English-language references.

11. Ndiwo

    Ndiwo (the relish or stew eaten with nsima)

    Usage

    General word for the fish, meat, bean or vegetable dish eaten with nsima

    Grammar Note

    Lessons note that ndiwo takes plural agreement (for example ndiwo za nsomba, "fish relish").

12. Masamba a nkhwani

    Masamba a nkhwani (pumpkin leaves, cooked as a relish)

    Usage

    A very common relish made from cooked pumpkin leaves

    Grammar Note

    masamba is the plural of tsamba, joined by plural "a" (of). One travel guide gives chibwabwa for the same leaves.

13. Chiponde

    Chiponde (peanut butter)

    Usage

    Paste made from ground peanuts

    Grammar Note

    Made from ground mtedza (peanuts).

14. Mbatata

    Mbatata (sweet potato)

    Usage

    A root eaten boiled or steamed

    Grammar Note

    Irish (ordinary) potatoes use a different word, mbatatesi.

15. Chinangwa

    Chinangwa (cassava)

    Usage

    Eaten boiled, or milled into flour for kondowole

    Grammar Note

    A class 7 noun.

16. Dzungu

    Dzungu (pumpkin)

    Usage

    Pumpkin; both the fruit and the leaves are eaten

    Grammar Note

    A class 5 noun; the plural is maungu.

17. Nsawawa

    Nsawawa (pigeon peas)

    Usage

    Pigeon peas, cooked as a bean relish

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses it simply as "pea"; a lesson food list gives pigeon peas.

18. Nsima ndi nsomba.

    Nsima with fish.

    Usage

    The most common pairing on a menu or in an order

    Grammar Note

    ndi means "and" or "with". Composed from dictionary-verified words.

19. Nsima ndi nkhuku.

    Nsima with chicken.

    Usage

    Another standard pairing, with chicken

    Grammar Note

    Composed from dictionary-verified words.

20. Nsima ndi nyemba.

    Nsima with beans.

    Usage

    Often eaten when meat or fish is out of budget

    Grammar Note

    Composed from dictionary-verified words.

21. Nsima ndi masamba a nkhwani.

    Nsima with pumpkin leaves.

    Usage

    A standard vegetable pairing

    Grammar Note

    Composed from words verified in a dictionary and lesson materials.

22. Ndikufuna nsima ndi nsomba.

    I would like nsima with fish.

    Usage

    Basic sentence for ordering in an eatery

    Grammar Note

    ndikufuna = ndi (I) + ku (progressive) + -fun- (want) + a, the same pattern used in lesson sentences.

23. Ndipatseni nsima ndi nyemba, chonde.

    Please give me nsima and beans.

    Usage

    A polite request: plural imperative plus chonde

    Grammar Note

    -patsa (give) takes the polite plural imperative -ni, as in the lesson sentence Ndipatseni madzi chonde.

24. Kodi muli ndi chambo?

    Do you have chambo?

    Usage

    Asking whether an eatery or lodge has chambo

    Grammar Note

    muli ndi = "you (polite plural) have"; the thing owned follows ndi.

25. Nsomba iyi ndi yokoma kwambiri.

    This fish is very tasty.

    Usage

    A compliment after a meal

    Grammar Note

    nsomba is class 9, so iyi and yokoma take class 9 forms. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

26. Ndikufuna kuyesa nsima.

    I would like to try nsima.

    Usage

    Useful on your first encounter with nsima

    Grammar Note

    -fun- (want) is followed by the infinitive ku-yesa (to try).

27. Nsima ndi chakudya chachikulu cha ku Malawi.

    Nsima is the main food of Malawi.

    Usage

    Explaining what nsima means in Malawi

    Grammar Note

    chakudya is class 7, so chachikulu and cha agree with it; cha ku Malawi means "of Malawi".

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