Samp and beans, my first time!

Samp and beans, umqusho nembotyi, a South African favourite, funny how after living in the country for 8years I had actually never had it so determined I was to make it for supper last night. The only problem was that I forgot to soak the samp and beans overnight or for 10hours as some other recipes had suggested. I took a nap only to wake up in a panic at 3pm after realising I had NO chance of serving this dish.

Being my stubborn self, I continued with my plan of making it and serving it by 7pm, the same day of course!! It turned out I actually did not need to soak it after all (insert smug face here). I boiled the samp and beans for about 2hours and they were soft enough *happy dance*.

I made a mushroom and mixed vegetable mix that I then mixed with the samp and beans and served in a gemsquash half with some oddly shaped chicken thighs. Much to my delight, it was perfect ( needed a bit more seasoning) and the bellies were full. Mission accomplished!!

Samp and beans recipe

2 cups samp
2 cups sugar beans
5 cups boiling water
1 cup brown mushroom, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 tomatoes, chopped
salt to taste

 Method

1. Rinse samp and beans nder cold running water and remove any impurities. Place in a large saucepan and bring to a boil until desired softness is achieved, at least 2 hours. Check every 30minutes and add a cup of water if needed.
2. Once done, fry garlic, onion and green pepper until soft. Add mixed vegetables and fry 2 minutes, add the tomatoes and samp and beans mixture.
3. Pour in 1/2 cup of boiling water and cover for 5-8mins to make sure that mied vegetables are cooked through. Season to taste.