Something from The African Kitchen

Cornmeal (mealiepap) is the staple dish of Africa. It comes with lots of different names (mealiepap (South Africa), ugali (Tanzania and Keyna), nshima (Zambia), sadza (Shona - Zimbabwe), isitshwala (Ndebele - Zimbabwe), sima (Malawi)) and several different consistencies, but the ingredients rarely vary, and you will recognize it when you see it! Like most African meals, it is eaten by hand. First, you dip your hands in water, then grab a bit of the 'pap'. A small ball of the mixture is dipped in a sauce or stew to be eaten. My last meal with this wonderful dish was ugali and expertly barbecued goat. Absolutely delectable!

Mealiepap
From The African Kitchen by Josie Stow and Jan Baldwin

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp rosemary or thyme (optional)
1-2 tsp salt
2 c coarse mealie or corn meal

Method
Bring 4 c water to a boil in a heavy pot. Add the olive oil and the herbs to the boiling water. Add all the mealie at once, stirring constantly until the meal and water are thoroughly combined. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 c cold water to the mixture and continue simmering for a further 30 minutes before serving. Serve with a hearty meat stew, or with a warm tomato and onion sauce.