Nompilo's boerewors & pap

What are some traditional South African foods? I think I can safely say that any South African asked this question would undoubtedly mention boerewors and pap, along with others. So when we spent the night at the Welverdiend rural community, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to acquire some knowledge from Nompilo, our resident ‘chef’ for the evening. Sarah and I acted as sous chefs, while at the same time snapping at every chance we got and endeavouring to remember what Nompi was telling us. The persistent flash from my camera actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it helped to illuminate the otherwise pitch black night.

So for those who don’t know what pap is (also called ‘ugali’ in East Arica, ‘buntu’ in West Africa, ‘sadza/isisthwala’ in Zimbabwe and ‘nsima’ in Zambia), it is essentially a traditional porridge made from miele (ground maize or other grain). It is a staple food source for many South Africans (mainly black and Afrikaaner populations) and is eaten in a few ways; smooth pap is called ‘slap pap’ or pap with a thick consistency is called stywe pap, one that can be held in the hand and eaten. A drier and more crumbly pap is called phutu pap. Pap can be eaten as a breakfast staple with milk and sugar, or served with meat and tomato stew, the latter being what we learned to cook with Nompi.

So we began by prepping our boerewors ready to be braai-ed, (by the men of course). The kind we were making were chakalaka spiced already so not much needed to be added, so a sprinkling of paprika as well as salt and a generous glug of oil was all that was required. These were then put to the side and we moved on to the pap.

Pap, although a simple food, needs to be prepared with care because without, it can end up being a mushy mess.

1)You start by coating 75% of your miele grains with cold water and stir well so that the grains have absorbed all the water.

2)Now you must leave it to stand for 10 minutes or so.

3)It is now time to add the pap to the heat. We were cooking over a fire so it may vary slightly but you want to heat your pap on a high heat until you start to see it bubbling.

4)Once you see it bubble, you need to start stirring pretty vigorously so that is doesn’t burn. Now bit by bit you need to add the remaining maize.

5)After about 10 minutes give or take, your pap will be ready. Be warned, you don’t want to leave it on the heat for too long even if it still looks a bit runny, as it will continue to cook from the heat of your pot.

To make the tomato sauce or ‘stew’ as it is called here, follow these simple instructions:

1)Wash your tomatoes and cut roughly into small chunks.

2)Do the same for a few green or red peppers.

3)Pop the tomatoes and peppers into a pan and heat on a moderate heat with a large handful of diced onion and 1 diced garlic clove.

4)Season well with salt and pepper.

5)Stir well and be sure not to let the vegetables burn.

6)Add a small amount of water as well as a dollop of tomato sauce for a bit of sweetness.

7)Taste to check seasoning is right and serve on top of the pap

We ate our spicy boerewors and pap with delicious baby gem squash and buttered carrots. YUM.