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Esethu Gagasi

Esethu's Umngqusho

A slow-cooked Xhosa classic of samp and sugar beans, hearty, filling and made to share.
Umngqusho is the meal I grew up on. I'd come home from school excited for it, because it kept us full for hours, so we never needed to eat much. The first spoonful was always worth the wait.
More than the taste, it brought us together. One big pot,and all of us siblings would dish up and sit down to eat side by side. It's also always on the table at our family ceremonies. For me, umngqusho is more than food. It's a reminder of home, of my siblings, and of our culture.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: iSiXhosa
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 158 ml samp dried, cracked maize
  • 79 ml dried sugar beans
  • 1/3 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 garlic cloves crushed
  • 9,9 ml butter or cooking oil
  • 1,6 ml curry powder optional
  • 1/3 bay leaf
  • 1/3 chicken or vegetable stock cube optional
  • 1,6 ml salt
  • 667 ml water plus extra for topping up

Method
 

  1. Rinse 158 ml samp (dried, cracked maize) and 79 ml dried sugar beans well. Cover with plenty of cold water and soak overnight.
    Drain, then add the samp and beans to a large heavy pot with 667 ml water, plus extra for topping up and 1/3 bay leaf. Bring to a boil,then reduce to a low simmer, partly covered. Stir occasionally and top up with hot water if it gets dry.
    In a separate pan, melt 9,9 ml butter or cooking oil and fry 1/3 large onion, finely chopped until soft and golden. Add 1 garlic cloves,crushed and 1,6 ml curry powder (optional) and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
    Stir the onion mixture into the pot. Add 1/3 chicken or vegetable stock cube (optional) and 1,6 ml salt. Keep simmering until the samp and beans are completely soft and the mixture is thick and creamy.
    Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust the salt. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve hot from the pot.

Notes

Samp takes time, so be patient and keep the heat low.
Add a splash of hot water whenever it looks dry.
Serve on its own, or with meat stew, chakalaka, or amasi on the side. Leftovers taste even better the next day.