Country 32: Central African Republic - Greens with Pumpkin Seeds

Central African Republic (CAR) is a country almost smack bang in the middle of the continent. The country is in the top 10 poorest countries in the world, and while I discovered that the people from CAR eat a lot of vegetables as meat is scarce, it was very difficult to actually find recipes for their dishes.

Some interesting facts about CAR:

• CAR is roughly the same size as France.
• The country is rich in natural resources such as diamonds, gold, crude oil and mineral deposits. However, sadly, Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world as both internal and external powers compete for this wealth, resulting in political instability. 
• French and Sango are the two national languages, but CAR is home to over 80 ethnic groups, each having their own language. 

Despite not being able to find a good recipe earlier, I have just now found another recipe for a vegetarian stew which seems to be quite a common dish, which I think I would have preferred to make. Instead, I cooked a dish with lots of green vegetables and pumpkin seeds. I found it extremely dull, lacking in flavour and also quite dry so not that appetising. We stuffed pita breads with the greens which made it a bit bulkier, but I wouldn't opt to make these again. I also added a squeeze of lemon juice, just to give some sort of oomph to it, although that didn't really work either.

I adapted the recipe from here.

Greens with Pumpkin Seeds

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 zucchini or marrow, chopped
• 1 small bunch spring onions, chopped
• 4 handfuls of baby spinach
• Handful of pumpkin seeds, crushed
• Salt and pepper
• Pita bread, or new potatoes, or rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Slightly fry onion, then mix in spring onions, spinach, zucchini, and crushed pumpkin seeds.
2. Season with salt and pepper, and keep heat on low. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed. 
3. The dish should be ready is less than 10 minutes. Serve with new potatoes, rice, or pita bread.