Stywe Pap with Chakalaka and Bread-Sausages

South Africa — our next destination!

This country is deeply appreciated for its rich diversity in culture, people, places, climates, and food. Moving beyond the idea of separation that once dominated this nation for so many years, we can now truly recognize and celebrate the beauty of the diversity that enriches the everyday life of South Africa.

Now, as I reside in Portugal, I look back with a sense of peace on my time in South Africa. I visited only once, in 2007, but it was an unforgettable and moving experience. I was honored to be part of the World Youth Choir’s annual project that year. Through their efforts and organizational prowess, they managed to plan a trip to South Africa and Namibia for the whole choir, composed of approximately 80 young people from approximately 40 different countries. We rehearsed in Stellenbosch for two weeks, followed by two weeks of performances, and during that time, I got a glimpse of South African culture.

Since the food presented itself as very meat-based – I was what you would call a flexitarian at the time, so I had my portions of crocodile and deer -my memories of food in South Africa are centered around its strong emphasis on meat. Now that I’ve transitioned to a plant-based diet, it’s my mission to explore the ingredients and culinary traditions that align with this lifestyle.

Have a listen to one of the wonderful compositions that we peformed …

Pap – erlapap

One of the main plant-based culinary staples in South Africa is a dish made from maize meal, commonly known as “pap.” This dish is not only popular in South Africa but also widely enjoyed across southern and eastern Africa. Pap is often served as a side dish, particularly at braais (barbecues), which are a deeply rooted and traditional aspect of South African culinary culture. At these gatherings, pap typically accompanies the grilled meat, making it a common and beloved addition to the meal.

Pap can be made from

Maize (Corn): The most common grain used for making pap, especially in southern Africa. It is often referred to White Corn maize meal pap.

Millet: Often used in West and East Africa, millet pap is a staple in many regions.

Sorghum: Another popular grain, especially in West and Southern Africa.

Rice: Rice pap is common in some parts of West Africa, particularly Nigeria.

Wheat: Wheat pap is less common but is made in some regions.

Cassava: Though not a grain, cassava can be used to make a form of pap.

Oats: Oatmeal is sometimes referred to as a type of pap in some regions.

Types of Pap in South Africa:

1. Soft Pap:
   • Mieliepap: The general term for pap made from maize (corn). When prepared as a smooth, porridge-like consistency, it is often just called “mieliepap.”
   • Stadige Pap: A more specific term sometimes used to describe a slow-cooked, smooth pap.
   • Maalpap: Another term for finely ground maize porridge, often served for breakfast.
2. Stiff Pap:
   • Stywe Pap: This translates directly to “stiff pap” and refers to a thick, firm pap that is a staple in many Afrikaans households. It is similar to “Sadza” or “Ugali” and is often served as a side dish with meat and gravy.
   • Krummelpap: Also known as “Phutu” in some regions, this is a crumbly version of stiff pap. It is made by steaming maize meal and results in a dry, crumbly texture.
3. Fermented Pap:
   • Suurpap: This translates to “sour pap,” which is made from fermented maize. Suurpap has a tangy flavor due to the fermentation process and is less common but still enjoyed in some regions.
4. Sweet Pap:
   • Soetpap: This is a sweet version of pap, often made by adding sugar and milk, and sometimes enjoyed as a dessert or breakfast. It is not as common as the savory versions but is still known in some areas.

South African most common pap base is White Corn, which is ground into maize meal and then cooked in simple salted water.

Chakalaka

Another traditional vegetarian side dish that I’ve come to appreciate is chakalaka. This dish is often served alongside pap and is a type of gravy or sauce made from a mix of vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, grated carrots, and typically a generous amount of onions. However, in our recipe, we omit the onions due to our specific onion- and garlic-free dietary approach. Chakalaka is usually served with a grilled sausage or any other barbecue meat, making it a versatile addition to South African meals.

And the sausages?

Today, while meditating, I stumbled upon the brilliant idea to use quite a piece of leftover bread to create vegan sausages. Since I was preparing to make Pap, Chakalaka and … well yes, this “and” was still missing, I found this inspiration not only brilliant, but so fitting into my plans, as pap and chakalaka are actually side dishes on a braai table … It was a bit of an experiment, but one that turned out to be a great success! Both of us loved this new creation, and I’m excited and proud to present you with another vegan sausage recipe, created with love and care. You’ll see just how simple it is to make—a recipe so straightforward that you might find it hard to believe it can result in such a tasty and firm sausage.

The key ingredient is simply old bread. While I assume you could use any type of bread, I recommend using a firm, hard bread for the best results. I haven’t tried making these sausages with soft bread, so I can’t speak to that.

I tested two different methods:
Freezing the sausages, then immediately frying them.
Freezing them first to firm them up, then steaming them, and afterwards frying them.

While steaming resulted in a slightly better consistency, I still found that the simple freezing-then-frying method was working perfectly too. So whether you have a steamer at hand or are able to create a set-up for steaming, improvised, as I usually do, or not – the Bread Sausages will turn out perfectly anyway!

This week, we’re gently immersing ourselves in another culture, one that is far from Western Europe, both geographically and in culinary tradition. Yet, we’ll find many commonalities between these two continents. I’m delighted to explore South African culinary traditions with you and to share how to prepare delicious plant-based recipes inspired by these traditions. Let’s enjoy this wonderful time together and celebrate a beautiful country that shines with its natural beauty, cultural diversity, and rich history.

Peace and love to all.

Stywe Pap with Chakalaka and Bread Sausages

Maria-Julia

This vegan combination of tradition and innovation, made South African style, is a simple, but utterly delicious plant-based meal! Enjoy!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine African, South African

Servings 2 people

Equipment

• 1 Blender
• 1 immersion blender
• 1 steamer or other way to steam the sausages – they also work without steaming

Ingredients

  

For the stywe (milie)pap

• 1 cup maize meal from white corn
• 500 ml tapwarm water
• 1-2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable broth powder optional

For the bread sausages

• 1/2 tbsp flax seeds, crushed optional, but it helps for the texture
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp plant butter alternatively 1 tbsp more coconut oil
• 2 1/3 cups firm old bread, broken in pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
• 1-2 tsp dried herbs
• ca. 1/4 cup water

For the Chakalaka

• 2 medium carrots
• 1/2 bell pepper green, orange, yellow or red
• 2 tomatoes
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1-2 tsp dried herbs
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce or 1/2 cup baked beans
• salt to taste

Instructions

 

Prepare the sausages

• Mix the flax seeds with half of the water and let it soak for ca. 10 minutes (optional, if you are not using flax seeds, skip this step).

  Melt the coconut oil and the butter.
• Blend all ingredients together – not too long, not until smooth, the bread should still be chunky! In fact, it should eventually form a ball in the blending cup. Add slightly more water if the bread is still too hard.
  
• Cut the dough into 4 pieces.

  Roll them to sausages.

  Firmly roll each sausage into a piece of baking paper, twist the ends, to make “bonbons”.

  Place the wrapped sausages into the freezer.
  

Prepare the Pap

• In a pot, mix the maize meal, the broth powder and the salt with the warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk until all lumps are gone.

  Bring the mixture to a boil.
• Let the pap cook on low heat for 20 minutes (if using precooked maize meal – if not, slightly longer). See that you stir regularly. It will set at the bottom, but that’s not a problem… In the end you should have a nicely „pupy“, medium dry consistency.
  

Steam the sausages (optional)

• In a steamer or improvised steaming pot (I usually place a lid with metal handle upside down onto a few empty jars of the same height in a large pot filled with a little water – see that the jars are placed into the water with the opening facing upwards! – then the steaming items placed onto the lid, and the whole pot nicely sealed with the larger pot lid) bring the water to a boil, place the sausages onto the steaming device/grid and steam the sausages for approximately 15 minutes.

Prepare the Chakalaka

• Cut the pepper and the tomatoes in pieces.

  Peel and grate the carrots.

  In a saucepan, sauté the carrots together with the curry powder in the oil for a minute.

  Add the pepper, continue to sauté until the pepper pieces are slightly roasted.
• Add the tomatoes, cook for another 5 minutes or until they break down. Stir constantly.

  Add the herbs and tomato sauce or baked beans, cover the pot and let simmer for approximately 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

  Season with salt.

Assemble

• Fry the sausages in a non-sticking pan in some oil until nicely brown on all sides.

  Serve with the pap and the Chakalaka gravy (and if you want with some homemade ketchup 🙂 )

Keyword bread leftover, pap, south africa, vegan sausages, white corn