Umngqusho — Samp & Sugar Beans

Ingredients

• 1 cup samp (cracked hominy), soaked overnight
• ¾ cup sugar beans or pinto beans, soaked overnight
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 stock cube
• 5 cups water
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Drain the samp and beans and put them in a large pot with the water and the stock cube. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered 70–80 minutes, stirring occasionally and topping up with hot water as it's absorbed.
2. The samp is ready when the kernels have swollen, split, and turned creamy at the edges, and the beans crush easily between two fingers. Undercooked samp is chalky and no amount of butter fixes it.
3. Meanwhile fry the onion in the butter with the curry powder until soft and golden, 8 minutes.
4. Stir the onion mixture into the pot and cook 10 minutes more, mashing some of the beans against the side so the whole thing thickens and binds.
5. Season generously with salt and pepper, fold in the parsley, and serve as a meal on its own or under a stew. It reheats better than almost anything.