Oshifima with Omboga

Oshifima with omboga pairs a firm porridge with cooked greens. Ester, who grew up in northern Namibia, recalls oshifima as a regular part of her childhood meals. Her porridge recipe uses both maize meal and mahangu, pearl millet flour. Maize meal is first cooked in water, then millet flour is stirred in vigorously until the mixture becomes smooth and firm enough to turn out onto a plate.^[1]

The greens are also known as ombidi, with names varying by locality in Ester’s account. She describes her mother and grandmother’s preparation using wild greens, with onion and tomato added later and marula oil before serving. Her own published adaptation uses thawed frozen spinach: onion and garlic cook first, followed by tomato and then the spinach. The vegetable stew accompanies the porridge, rather than being stirred into it.^[2]