"Crumble Pap" with sweetcorn, served with a tomato & onion gravy Mealie Meal (which is similar in taste and texture to Polenta) is made from ground maize/corn. It is part of the local staple diet all over Africa, and is served in slightly different ways – and has different names - all over the Continent. For example, in Zimbabwe it is called “sudza”, in South Africa it is called “pap” and in Tanzania it is called “ugali”. It is filling, nutritious and cheap – not to mention easy to cook as the only 'ingredient' you need to make it is water. It can also be served in a variety of ways – both sweet and savoury.
It can be cooked in to a stiff consistency and rolled in to balls which are then dipped into stews or gravies and eaten whole. It can also be cooked into a smooth, porridge like consistency and eaten with milk, sugar and butter (one of my favourite ‘comfort’ foods but shhhhh …. don’t tell a soul !). It can also be layered in a casserole dish and alternated with almost any vegetable or mixture of meat, then baked and served in slices much like a pie. You can even use it to make bread and I have a recipe for that here.
One of my favourite ways to eat mealie meal is when it is served as “Crumble Pap”, which is how my Mum cooked it for us as an accompaniment to our braai over the weekend -:
It can be cooked in to a stiff consistency and rolled in to balls which are then dipped into stews or gravies and eaten whole. It can also be cooked into a smooth, porridge like consistency and eaten with milk, sugar and butter (one of my favourite ‘comfort’ foods but shhhhh …. don’t tell a soul !). It can also be layered in a casserole dish and alternated with almost any vegetable or mixture of meat, then baked and served in slices much like a pie. You can even use it to make bread and I have a recipe for that here.
One of my favourite ways to eat mealie meal is when it is served as “Crumble Pap”, which is how my Mum cooked it for us as an accompaniment to our braai over the weekend -:
Crumble Pap
2 cups of Mealie Meal
4 cups of boiling Water
1 cup tinned Sweetcorn, drained
Bring water to the boil, & gradually add the Mealie Meal. Stir with the handle of a wooden spoon until a course, crumbly texture is obtained. Add more mealie meal if required (as the mixture should be dry and non sticky). Once all the meal has been added, reduce the heat and continue stirring. Cooking time is approximately 5 – 6 minutes. As the meal retains the heat, it must be attended to constantly otherwise it can stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
Add the sweetcorn & mix well in the last minute of cooking.
Delicious served with a tomato and onion gravy.
2 cups of Mealie Meal
4 cups of boiling Water
1 cup tinned Sweetcorn, drained
Bring water to the boil, & gradually add the Mealie Meal. Stir with the handle of a wooden spoon until a course, crumbly texture is obtained. Add more mealie meal if required (as the mixture should be dry and non sticky). Once all the meal has been added, reduce the heat and continue stirring. Cooking time is approximately 5 – 6 minutes. As the meal retains the heat, it must be attended to constantly otherwise it can stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
Add the sweetcorn & mix well in the last minute of cooking.
Delicious served with a tomato and onion gravy.
