The tubers are cooked as follows: — they are washed, then pounded to remove 

 the skin, dried in the sun and repounded. They are then boiled in a solution of native 

 potashes [cidulo], the surplus liquid is squeezed out and the product left to dry. 

 It is now a very firm jelly, reddish in colour and is usually sold in this form. To use 

 as a side-dish, the jelly is cut into strips and boiled with salt. When it is cooked, 

 pounded groundnuts are added. The dish is very well liked apparently because of its 

 resemblance to meat, being red and having a texture like gristle. There is a con- 

 siderable trade from the hill to the plains in these tubers (Ncheu). 

 Varieties (Ncheu). {They are often used mixed together.) 



1. Kamlaza, mlaza. The plant has two leaves blotched with red as they get 

 older and red flowers. This is considered to be the best kind. 



2. Madozo, ciputu. The plant has only one leaf and is not a good kind. 



3. Kamivendo. The plant is tall, has a pair of leaves, white flowers and white 

 finger-like tubers, which are not liked as they do not make a firm jelly when cooked. 



180. Dolichos buchanani Harms. (Papil.). Bully Beef Plant. 

 Nthupa, ndupa, tsulutsulu, cilowe ca ntupa, maluwa a cizuzu (N), (last three names 



are of the flowers.) 



An erect herbaceous plant 3-4 ft. high, leaflets three with silky hairs, lanceolate 

 or ovate-lanceolate, flowers in long racemes, purple, flowering before the rains break, 

 while the leaves are stfll very young, large woody tuberous root streaked with red 

 and white, hence the name. The plant is very common in hill areas. The flowers 

 are known to be eaten in the following Districts: — Ncheu, Dedza, Lilongwe, Kota 

 Kota, Dowa and Kasungu. 



The flowers are cooked often with other leaves, e.g., mtamhe thengo {Vigna 

 phaseoloides) or with other flowers, e.g., nkunga, {Si^henostylis s-p.) . Potashes, cidulo, 

 are usually used to soften the flowers and pounded groundnuts are added. Rat 

 traps are cut from the roots and baited with maize. An infusion of the roots is 

 sprinkled on native pots before firing to prevent breakages. A very popular kind 

 of edible caterpillar, mphalabungu, feed on its leaves. 

 Ref. 5. 



181. D. lablab L. (Papil.). Hyacinth Bean. 

 Mkhungudzu (N), ngwingwisu (Y), kukusu (Ngu), mambarnba (Tu), mankhamba (Nk). 



A climber, considered Asiatic in origin, commonly grown on hut fences, leaflets 

 (3), membraneous, flowers in racemes, reddish or pale pink, the keel is abruptly 

 incurved, pods narrowed at the base, beans ovoid, red, brown or black with prominent 

 hilum. Grown in small quantities over most of the Southern Province and from 

 Mzimba northwards ; between these limits only very occasionally to be seen. 



The beans are eaten as a side-dish. They are very hard and are said to take 

 up to eight hours to cook but they may be ground before cooking (Karonga). They 

 are also cooked with the skins removed as cipere. The skins are very firmly attached, 

 hence the beans are first roasted, then ground between stones, then pounded, after 

 which the skins are winnowed off". Inspite of this drastic treatment, the cotyledons 

 of the bean remain unbroken. The young pods are occasionally cooked as a side- 

 dish (Palombe). Red and white kinds are boiled in their pods and the beans eaten 

 one by one as makata (Palombe), black kinds are too bitter for this. The beans are 

 boiled twice and the third time are mixed with maize and again boiled to form yigata 

 (Karonga). The leaves are occasionally cooked as a side-dish. 

 Ref. 1; 5; 6; 23. 



182. D. lablab L. (Papil.). Wild Hyacinth Bean. 



Nkhusa (N). 



A wild form of the above grows in hilly areas, the beans are small and are not 

 eaten. 



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