Madombi: A Sturdy Dumpling From Bostwana Is the Perfect Partner to Stews (2024)

Freda Muyambo

Celebrated food writer and blogger focusing on African cuisine. She has published recipes since 2011 on her blog My Burnt Orange.

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Updated on 01/18/23

Tested by

Diana Rattray

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Ingredients

3 cups (425 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
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2 teaspoons sugar
300 milliliters (10 ounces) warm water

Gather the ingredients.
Sift flour into a large bowl.
Add remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to combine.
Slowly stream the warm water into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir with a fork to bring the dough together.
Once the mixture has formed a sticky dough, use your hands to continue to mix the dough and initiate the kneading process.
Lightly flour your worktop in order to prevent the dough from sticking to it. Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto the floured surface. Begin to knead the dough, stretching it as well in the process. Knead dough for a minimum of 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Kneading is complete when dough is no longer sticky to the touch. Place the dough back into the bowl. You may oil the bowl prior to placing the dough into it if you prefer to prevent it sticking to the bowl. Cover the dish with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 45 minutes in a warm area.
After 45 minutes your dough should have doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 6 to 8 portions or more. Each portion will more than double in size as it cooks.
To cook, place the dough balls on top of a stew at least 30 minutes prior to the stew being ready. Push the dumplings into the stew till about halfway, cover and allow to steam over medium heat for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes you will have large cooked balls of madombi with a firm and shiny surface on top and stew soaked underneath. The madombi is now ready to serve and enjoy!

To avoid tough dumplings, add just enough flour to your hands and kneading board to keep them from sticking.
Prior to placing the kneaded dough back in the bowl to proof, you can oil the bowl with a bit of neutral cooking oil, to prevent it from sticking to the bowl.
Depending on how large you made the madombi dough balls, you may choose to serve them cut in half or as a whole.
The dumplings can be served with beef stew orchicken potpie, or any stew of your liking.
The recipe makes approximately 27 ounces of dough.

The dumplings may be cooked separately in water or broth. Add about 1 inch of water or broth and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to a pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the uncooked dumplings, and cover the pan. Cook the dumplings for about 25 minutes. Check them every 5 minutes or so and add more water or broth if needed.
While not traditional, fresh herbs may be kneaded into the dough for extra flavor and color. Try adding fresh chopped parsley, chives, or thyme leaves to the dumplings.

Refrigerate the madombi dumplings either separately or with the stew within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days.
To freeze madombi, arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Place the frozen madombi in a zip-close freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook them from frozen on stew, on a pot pie, or in water or broth.

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12to 16
Amount per serving
Calories	90
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 383mg	17%
Total Carbohydrate 19g	7%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 106mg	8%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 30mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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