Mabele, also known as sorghum meal, could soon occupy the top spot on our breakfast tables with delicious recipe options that offer plenty of health benefits.
Leading the trend is 30-year-old Felicia Malebe, a food activist and creator of the Sorghum Café TikTok page, which is dedicated to reclaiming SA’s food heritage with indigenous grains such as sorghum.
Malebe grew up in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga, and recalls the nostalgia of eating warm mabele porridge.
“My mother introduced mabele to my five siblings and me. Every morning, we would have mabele porridge. On alternative mornings, we would have slow-cooked mabele with morogo [wild spinach]. Mabele was a staple in our house. Even at my age, mabele porridge is my go-to breakfast,” she says.
Malebe says her TikTok page demonstrates creative ways for making breakfast favourites that incorporate mabele, including mabele-inspired cupcakes with edible flowers, breakfast smoothies and fruit bowls.
“It started last year; I began to experiment with mabele, and I tried it out with pancakes,” she says. “At first, it didn’t turn out well, and I redid the recipe until I found the perfect consistency. I wanted to share this pancake recipe with others who are also looking for creative ways to enjoy mabele other than as porridge.”
As a training health coach, Malebe knows the nutritional value of sorghum-rich mabele. But it wasn’t until she embarked on a weight-loss journey that she was inspired to experiment with her favourite childhood staple.
“I’ve always wanted to lose weight, and that’s the reason why I went into health coaching — to learn about nutrients and what food is good for your gut, and sorghum was also part of it,” says Malebe.
“Sorghum is rich in fibre, gluten-free, a great source of protein, supports heart health and balances blood sugar by releasing slow energy, which means you stay fuller for longer.
“In my smoothies, the mabele suppresses sugar spikes from the fructose in fruits,” she says. “The smoothie sustains energy levels by incorporating nuts, Greek yoghurt, dark chocolate and blueberries. I’ve noticed you stay fuller for longer.
“There is a myth around mabele and sorghum that it’s a poor person’s food and not fit to be part of a modern lifestyle. But people don’t know that this versatile grain is packed with nutrients and health benefits.”
Here is Malebe’s recipe for sorghum pancakes.
Sorghum-inspired breakfast pancakes with peanut butter-dipped strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine mabele
- 1 cup milk
- 1 medium egg
- 1/3 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Cinnamon and vanilla essence
- Choice of aromatic spices
- 10 ml oil or knob of butter
- 1 punnet of strawberries
- 100g of peanut butter
Method
- In a medium bowl, blend the mabele with milk into a smooth mixture and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg, salt, baking powder, baking soda and choice of aromatic spices.
- Transfer the mabele and milk mixture into the bowl with the whisked egg and spices. Mix well.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add oil or a knob of butter.
- Pour 1/3 of a cup of the pancake batter into the pan.
- When bubbles appear on the pancake surface, flip and cook the other side.
- Cook for a minute on each side, adjusting the heat if the pancakes brown too quickly.
- For the garnish, scoop a spoonful of peanut butter onto the strawberries and place them on the plate.
