Morogo

Morogo is a Lesotho side dish of leafy greens simmered with onion and tomato and eaten with the staple porridge.

Morogo, also spelled moroho, is cooked in Lesotho with wild or cultivated greens. It is a vegetable dish, served beside the porridge that forms the base of the meal, so the greens add flavour and moisture to something plain.

What it really is

Amaranth greens, wild or cultivated, are washed, chopped and simmered until soft. Onion and tomato go in as the base of a loose, savoury sauce, and salt seasons the pot. Peanut is added to give the liquid body and a nutty richness. The greens are cooked down until tender rather than kept bright and crisp, so the texture is soft and the juices are part of the dish. The exact mix of greens changes with the season and the cook, so morogo varies from household to household.

How it's served

• Warm, spooned out as a side dish beside the porridge.
• Soft and moist rather than dry, with the sauce from the pot.
• Shared as part of a meal with the porridge, not eaten on its own as a main.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the greens on the menu, for example amaranth greens, and say if they are wild.
• Flag peanuts clearly. Peanut is a major allergen, so state it in the description as well as in the allergen list.
• List onion, tomato and salt as the standard ingredients, and say if oil is used.
• Sell it as a side, next to the porridge, so guests know what comes with the main plate.