World Stroll
South African recipe

How to make Pap

uphuthu (isiZulu, the crumbly kind)

All of South Africa, a staple food

Commons: pap South Africa
Photo: Pietersielie(PC), CC BY-SA 4.0

Porridge of white maize meal, cooked soft for breakfast, stiff enough to hold its shape to eat with stews, or dry and crumbly. 'Pap en wors', pap with boerewors and a tomato and onion sauce, is a braai favourite.

Serves 4 30 min

Ingredients

  • 750 ml water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 250 g (about 2 cups) white maize meal (mielie meal)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Method

  1. Bring the water and salt to the boil in a heavy saucepan.
  2. Pour in the maize meal in a heap in the middle and do not stir. Put the lid on, turn the heat to low and leave for 5 minutes.
  3. Now stir hard with a wooden spoon until smooth and thick, with no dry lumps.
  4. Cover again and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the pap is stiff and no longer tastes raw. Stir in the butter and serve with a stew, chakalaka or braai meat.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.

More from South Africa