Pap recipe

Basotho maize meal stirred until it is stiff enough to scoop with the fingers, eaten with moroho greens.

45 minuteseasy7 ingredients

Ingredients

• 375 g white maize meal
• 500 g moroho greens
• 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1000 ml water
• 1 tsp salt

How to make Pap

1. Bring 1 litre of water to the boil with 1/1 tsp salt in a heavy pot.
2. Mix 375 g of the 375 g of white maize meal with a little cold water into a smooth slurry, stir it into the boiling water and cook 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining maize meal a handful at a time, stirring hard after each one, until the mixture is too thick to stir easily and pulls away from the sides of the pot.
4. Cover, drop the heat to low and steam 25 minutes, turning the mass over twice with a wooden stick (ho fetola). The papa must end up firm enough to hold its shape - not creamy.
5. Meanwhile heat 2 tbsp oil and cook 1 chopped onion for 5 minutes, then add 2 chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook until saucy.
6. Add 500 g of chopped moroho greens (spinach, chard or wild greens), cover and cook 10 minutes until tender, adding a splash of water only if the pan dries out.
7. Scoop the papa onto plates and serve the moroho beside it; it is eaten with the right hand, pinching off a piece of papa to scoop the greens.

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