Ilha Specialty · Mangrove Succulent Curry

Matapa Siri-Siri

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Siri-siri isn't a farmed vegetable at all — it's a wild succulent that grows straight out of the sand and mangrove mudflats around the island, foraged rather than planted.

The leaves of the siri-siri succulent, a wild plant found on Ilha de Moçambique's beaches and mangroves, are finely chopped and simmered with garlic, onion, coconut milk, and crushed cashews into a rich green stew. It's a plant-based dish offered on the island's dhow food tours and in local kitchens.

Why it's made this way: It's a local variation on the cassava-leaf matapa found across the rest of Mozambique, swapping in a plant unique to the island's own shoreline.

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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.