Pap & Sous
South Africa
Rising Cook
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Pap and sous is maize porridge with tomato gravy, and between them they account for a very large share of what is eaten in South Africa on an ordinary day. Pap is the smooth, firm maize meal that anchors the plate. Sous, Afrikaans for sauce, is the tomato and onion gravy that goes over it. The comparison South Africans reach for when explaining pap to outsiders is grits or polenta, and it holds up as far as the grain goes. What it misses is the position the dish occupies. Pap is not a side. It is the centre of the plate, and everything else is arranged in relation to it, which is why the quality of a household's pap is noticed and remarked on. The gravy is where the cook is visible. A sous is built from onion, pepper, chilli, garlic and tomato with paprika and a little sugar and vinegar, and every household has a version. Pap and sous is eaten on its own as a complete meal and served alongside grilled meat and boerewors when there is a fire going, which is the same dish playing two different roles depending on the day.
Maize reached southern Africa through Portuguese Atlantic trade from the 16th century and displaced sorghum and millet as the dominant grain of the region, becoming the base of the stiff porridge known as pap. Its earliest documented date as a South African household staple is uncertain.
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself.
Pour the cold water into a deep pot and season with two or three pinches of sea salt.
Add the maize meal.
Bring slowly to a simmer over medium heat.
Cook until it starts to thicken and comes together.
Add the cold milk.
Continue over medium heat, stirring regularly, until it thickens again and is almost stiff, at the consistency of thick mashed potato.
Take off the heat, cover and set aside.
Dice the onion and bell pepper small. Chop the garlic and chilli. Dice the tomatoes.
Heat a good amount of neutral oil in a pan over medium high heat.
Add the onion, pepper, chilli and garlic and cook until soft and translucent. Season with two or three pinches of sea salt.
Add the oregano and both paprikas and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and brown sugar and cook until it just starts to catch on the pan.
Deglaze with the malt vinegar and stir.
Add the fresh tomatoes and cook until they start to fall apart.
Pour in 250g of water and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens, 6 to 8 minutes.
Turn the heat down low and stir in the 50g of cold butter.
Taste and adjust the salt.
Bring a portion of the pap back to medium heat, add butter and work it until smooth and creamy but still thick.
Serve a dollop of pap with the tomato gravy, on its own or alongside grilled meat and sausage.
Personal notes from Chef Donkey2 reviews
Never made pap before so I wasn't sure what to expect when adding the cold milk to the thick maize meal mixture, but it smoothed out surprisingly well. The tomato and red bird's eye chilli sous was fantastic, though next time I think I'll use just half the chilli because my kids found it a bit too hot.
finding white maize meal in seattle isn't easy, had to grab a bag from an international market in rainier valley. this turned out so comforting. the pap texture reminded me of genfo, though stir-cooking the tomato paste and garlic into that thick red sous gives it a totally different profile than berbere. pouring the cold milk in near the end is key for getting the stiffness right.