Spring may be in the air, but it’s still cold enough to crawl under the covers after a frosty evening! There’s nothing better than a delicious, hearty meal to keep the cold at bay and spirits high as we enter that last little push to a warmer spring. Today the Miami Canner’s team is celebrating a home-grown favourite that’s perfect to take the chill off and help you enjoy the last few frosty nights in true South African style.
What makes a hearty sishebo?
Sishebo is a delicious, hearty stew made with succulent tomato relish. It’s traditionally made with beef, but you can easily adapt it to suit the protein of your choice. We’ve seen everything from chicken sishebo to boerewors! It’s also a convenient one-pot dish, so there’s no washing up to worry about, either. Here’s one of our favourite recipes, but there’s as many versions as there are creative South African cooks!
- ½ cup beans. Soak dry, or use canned
- 10 ml cooking oil
- 500 g stewing meat, fat off
- 1 tin MIAMI Seshebo
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 green pepper, seeds removed and chopped
- 500 ml water
- 2 potatoes, chopped
- 300 g butternut, cubed
- Spices: We suggest a little cinnamon (½ tsp or 1 stick), 2 tbsp curry powder
- Salt, black pepper and lemon juice to taste
Heat your oil in a pan with a thick base, or traditional potjie. Fry the meat to brown it, then fry the onion, carrots, and peppers until glassy and soft. Pop the meat and beans back in, spice it, and salt to taste. Once the mix starts boiling, reduce to a simmer and leave to cook until succulent. This can be as quick as 30 minutes if you used tinned beans. Add the other ingredients and allow to simmer together for another 30 minutes to marry the flavours. The best thing about this super-tasty, super-simple dish is, it can be made quickly or left to simmer all day, whatever works for you! Finish with lashings of lemon juice and pepper.
Sishebo is more than just a stew, however. It builds layers of rich and complex flavour and spicy gravy that’s perfect to pair with another South African favourite- pap.
Add the perfect pap for authentic deliciousness
When it comes to pap, every South African has an opinion- and you’re all correct! Everyone has their way of preparing this iconic SA dish, but we know it comes down to three key ingredients:
- Water: Soft or styf/uphuthu, pap needs lightly salted water and a fork to stir it with. This helps keep it fluffy and delicious instead of clumpy.
- Heat: While the water needs to boil before you add your pap, keeping it soft and simmering prevents the maize from charring. That goes double if you’re cooking on a fire.
- Love: Pap made without love just isn’t the same!
Spice it up with a little butter, or enjoy it as is. Roll it into balls to enjoy by hand, or use your very best cutlery. It doesn’t matter! South Africa wouldn’t be South Africa without pap- and it pairs beautifully with this delicious sishebo, too.
It’s time to enjoy the last cosiness of winter with some hearty dishes that will delight the whole family. With Miami Canners on your side, nothing’s easier to make, either!
