Pap and Relish: South African Staple Food Made Easy

 Soft, creamy maize porridge crowned with a glossy tomato-and-onion relish — the humble, nourishing plate at the heart of South African home cooking.

By K.B. Shivuri · The Seasoned HearthPrep: 10 minCook: 30 minServes: 4

If there is one plate that feeds South Africa, it is pap and relish. Pap — soft, creamy maize meal porridge — is our most fundamental staple, and topped with a glossy tomato-and-onion relish (often called sheba or sous), it becomes a complete, comforting meal in its own right. It is affordable, filling and endlessly adaptable, served on its own or alongside braai meat, boerewors, chakalaka or a good stew.

Both parts are simple, but there is a rhythm to getting the pap just right — soft and smooth, never gluey. Let me walk you through both, step by step.

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

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What You Will Need

For the Pap

• Water4 cups
• Salt1 tsp
• Maize meal (mealie meal)2 cups

For the Relish (Sheba)

• Cooking oil2 tbsp
• Onion, chopped1
• Garlic cloves, crushed2
• Tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin)4
• Green pepper, chopped (optional)1
• Curry powder or paprika1 tsp
• Sugar1 tsp
• Chilli, chopped (optional)1
• Saltto taste

How to Make Pap and Relish — Step by Step

Step 1 — Start the pap

1. 1
   Bring the salted water to a boil. Sprinkle in the maize meal all at once, without stirring, and let it settle into a mound above the water.
2. 2
   Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it steam undisturbed for 10 minutes — this is the secret to smooth pap.

Step 2 — Finish the pap

1. 3
   Stir the pap well with a wooden spoon to break up the mound, cover again, and cook for a further 20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and cooked through.

Step 3 — Make the relish

1. 4
   Heat the oil and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic and green pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
2. 5
   Add the tomatoes, curry powder, sugar and chilli. Simmer for 15 minutes until thick and glossy, then season with salt.
3. 6
   Spoon the warm relish generously over the pap and serve straight away.

The Seasoned Hearth tip — choose your pap textureFor softer, creamier pap, add a little more water; for a stiffer pap you can slice, use a little less. For crumbly krummelpap, use less water still and stir more often. The same maize meal gives you three different dishes.

Don't stir too soonResist stirring the pap in the first 10 minutes. Letting the maize meal steam undisturbed first is what gives you smooth, lump-free pap rather than a gluey pot.

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What to Serve with Pap and Relish

• Boerewors or braai meat — the classic partnership straight off the coals.
• Chakalaka — spicy vegetable relish for even more flavour and colour.
• A hearty stew or curry — pap soaks up the gravy beautifully.
• On its own — pap and relish is a satisfying, affordable meal all by itself.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is pap?

Pap is a soft maize meal porridge and South Africa's most important staple food. Made from ground maize (mealie meal), water and salt, it can be cooked soft and creamy, stiff enough to slice, or crumbly, depending on the water ratio.

What is the relish or sheba?

The relish — often called sheba or sous — is a simple tomato and onion sauce, sometimes spiced with chilli or curry, simmered until thick. Spooned over pap, it turns a plain staple into a full, flavourful meal.

What are the different types of pap?

The main types are soft/creamy pap (slap pap), stiff pap (stywe pap) which holds its shape, and crumbly pap (krummelpap). All three use the same maize meal — only the amount of water and stirring changes.

Is maize meal the same as polenta?

They are similar — both are ground maize — but South African mealie meal is usually finer and made from white maize, giving pap its characteristic smooth, soft texture. Polenta will work in a pinch but has a coarser bite.

The Plate That Feeds a Nation

Pap and relish is proof that the humblest ingredients make the most beloved meals. Master the pap and you hold the key to countless South African suppers.

— K.B. Shivuri, The Seasoned Hearth