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Umphokoqo with amasi
Crumbly maize pap with soured milk
Umphokoqo: Xhosa crumbly maize pap served with cold soured milk
Umphokoqo is the dry, crumbly pap of the Eastern Cape, beloved at Xhosa family gatherings and often brought out on Heritage Day as a taste of home. Instead of the stiff pap stirred into a smooth mound, the maize meal is steamed in a little water and broken up with a fork until it falls into fine, fluffy crumbs. It is served cold or at room temperature, with chilled amasi (thick soured milk) poured over, sour, cool and filling, or warm beside braai meat and chakalaka. Chef's tip: don't stir in circles like ordinary pap; cut and fluff with a fork so it stays crumbly.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 14 oz white maize meal
- 2 ½ cups amasi or plain kefirchilled
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring the 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt to the boil in a heavy pot with a lid.
5 minStep 2: Pour in all the 14 oz white maize meal at once in a mound and don't stir. Cover and leave on a low heat for 5 minutes so the steam starts cooking it.
3 minStep 3: Now break it up with a fork, cutting and lifting until everything is in damp crumbs. A common mistake is adding more water, which turns it into stiff pap instead of crumbs.
5 minStep 4: Cover again and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes, fluffing with the fork every 5 minutes. It is done when the crumbs are dry, separate and taste cooked, not raw and gritty.
20 minStep 5: Spread on a tray to cool. Serve in bowls with the cold 2 ½ cups amasi or plain kefir poured over.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does umphokoqo with amasi take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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