“Justice for the Air Fryer”: Woman Cooks Mogodu With Air Fryer, Leaving Mzansi Stunned

• A local woman showcased a unique culinary experiment: successfully cooking mogodu (tripe) entirely in an air fryer
• The surprising clip, shared on Facebook, attracted massive views and sparked debate and amusement among traditional food lovers
• Social media users were shocked by the well-cooked result, questioning how the woman managed to cook the tough dish without adding any water
• Briefly News spoke with Portia Dlamini, a Cape Town caterer, about the surprising video of mogodu cooked in an airfryer

A woman’s creative use of a modern kitchen appliance to prepare a traditional meal became a sensation, leading to humorous shock among South African food enthusiasts.

The clip, shared on Facebook by Ngwanona Majita, garnered many views, likes, and comments from viewers who were entertained by her trick, and others who were sceptical of the result.

The video starts with the woman, Facebook user Ngwanona Majita, announcing her return to show her followers the results of her mogodu (a traditional dish made from the tripe or stomach lining of an animal) trial. She opened her air fryer to reveal a fully cooked dish: the mogodu was mixed with onions and peppers, resting in its own thick, natural gravy.

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The woman showcases her mogodu made with an air fryer

She shared that the cooking time was surprisingly quick, leading her to joke that she was now tempted to try cooking pap in the air fryer as well. Visibly excited that her experiment had worked, she concluded her clip by promising viewers a full taste review soon.

Caterer speaks on modernising traditional dishes

We at Briefly News spoke with Portia Dlamini to get a professional chef's take on the viral video and to discuss the challenges and possibilities of using modern, quick appliances for traditional, slow-cooked African meals.

The team asked her reaction to seeing mogodu, a dish famous for slow cooking, successfully made in an air fryer. She said:

“I was stunned and very curious. Mogodu is meant to be boiled for hours to become tender. To see it cooked quickly in a modern gadget, resting in its own gravy, is a huge surprise. It shows that people are getting creative in the kitchen.”

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We asked what the reason is that an airfryer can successfully cook mogodu without adding water or boiling it first. The caterer responded:

“The airfryer works by circulating very hot air. If the mogodu was cooked from raw, it likely used the natural moisture inside the meat to steam itself, but for catering, I would still boil it first to guarantee its softness.”

When asked if she’s considering using an airfryer for cooking mogodu when cooking for clients to save herself time, Portia responded:

“For catering, quality cannot be risked. I might use the airfryer to brown onions and peppers, but I would never skip the long, slow boiling step, because the texture must be perfect for my clients. Besides, airfryers aren’t too big for catering meals, so using them wouldn’t be practical.

SA reacts to the woman’s post

The comments section was filled with reactions of shock and amusement from social media users. Many traditional cooks were stunned, questioning how she managed to cook the mogodu, a dish known for being tough and requiring hours of boiling, without adding any water.

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The dish appeared soft and perfectly done in the video, prompting some viewers to jokingly accuse her of having cooked it on a traditional stove first and simply putting it on the electric cooker to tease them. Others offered practical advice, humorously warning her against trying to cook pap in the air fryer, as a dedicated pap maker is already on the market.

User @Gary Myambo said:

"Your air fryer needs to be confiscated. Auwa (no), you're wrong."

User @Nhlanhla Mcolisi asked:

"Life hack! So, how long did it cook for?"

User @Pertunia Gift Khoza teased:

"Justice for air fryer."

User @Khensani Lu Ngobeni advised:

"There's also a pap cooker in the market. Just get yourself one girl."

User @Mahlatse Mkansi joked:

"Yoh! You almost gave me a heart attack."

User @Ntlakah Alson Ngobese asked:

"How long does it take to get ready, mogudu, when you use an airfryer?"

User @Phumla Mamtchawe Nkiita commented:

"You cooked that with the stove and placed it again in the fryer. Amanga angaka sana (such an invention)."

Watch the Facebook reel here.

3 Briefly News articles about food

• A video exposed multiple examples of “shrinkflation” at a local grocery store, showing how major brands have reduced product sizes while keeping prices the same, angering many viewers.
• A woman shared a detailed video of her two-week, top-up grocery haul for herself and her husband, revealing she spent R7.2K on one shopping trip.
• A local gent's R500 grocery shopping challenge ignited a widespread discussion across Mzansi about the true cost of everyday essentials.

Source: Briefly News