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Meat, Africa and overseas

Seswaa and pap with spinach

Seswaa and pap is a Botswana dish made of beef simmered for hours then shredded, served with pap, a thick cornmeal porridge, and spinach. It serves 4, takes 3h20 total, is easy to make, and costs about €4.10 per person. The key to success is patience, letting the meat cook slowly until it falls apart on its own.

This weekend, seswaa, Botswana's celebration dish, slow cooked shredded beef, served with pap and spinach.

Seswaa and pap with spinach
Total time
3 h 20
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.10
Calories per person
600 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Seswaa is beef simmered in water for hours, seasoned with just salt, until it's so tender it shreds with a fork. There are no spices, no complicated sauce, everything rests on the meat and the cooking time. The result is soft, almost stringy meat that soaks up the pap and spinach served alongside.

It's a celebration dish in Botswana, the kind you make to feed a crowd without spending the whole day watching the stove. At home, it's a Sunday dish you can let simmer while you do something else, or one you start on a day off for dinner that evening. Kids tend to like the soft meat and the pap, mild and comforting like mashed potatoes.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Beef shank or chuck 900 g

Pantry

  • Fine quick cooking polentaoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 3 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Fresh spinach 600 g
  • Onion 1

Dairy

  • Butter 30 g

The step by step recipe

  1. Put the meat in large chunks into a pot, cover with water, salt generously and bring to a boil, then skim. 10 min

    Skim well, the broth will stay clear.

  2. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the meat falls apart. 2 h 30

    Top up with hot water if needed, the meat should always be covered.

  3. Drain the meat, keeping a bit of broth aside, then shred it with a fork or mash it in the pot with a wooden spoon. 10 min

    Shred it while it's still hot, it comes apart much more easily.

  4. Bring 1 liter of salted water to a boil, pour in the polenta in a steady stream while whisking, and stir until you get a thick pap. 10 min

    The pap is ready when a spoon can stand up in it on its own.

  5. Wilt the spinach and sliced onion in the butter, season with salt and pepper, and serve with the seswaa and pap. 8 min

    Press the spinach to remove excess water before serving.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick beef shank or chuck, cuts rich in collagen, that's what makes the meat so tender after the long simmer.
  • Don't oversalt at the start, taste the broth halfway through and adjust, since the water reduces and concentrates the salt.
  • Always keep a bit of broth aside after draining the meat, it helps moisten the seswaa if it feels a little dry once shredded.

The variations

  • Swap the beef for lamb or goat if you want to change things up, the long cooking method stays the same.
  • For a meatless version, replace the beef with button and portobello mushrooms simmered a long time in broth, then shredded the same way.
  • To save time, use a pressure cooker, the meat turns tender in about 45 minutes instead of 2h30.

What to serve it with

  • Fresh tomato wedges
  • Rooibos red tea
  • Spicy vegetable relish

Storage

Seswaa keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well for up to 3 months, kept separate from the pap, which is best made fresh each time. Reheat it gently in a pan or saucepan with a splash of broth to keep it moist.

Questions about this dish

Can you make seswaa ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended, the shredded beef tastes even better reheated the next day. Just make the pap at the last minute, since it hardens as it cools.

Why does seswaa have almost no spices?

That's tradition, the dish relies entirely on the quality of the meat and the long simmer in salted water. This simplicity lets the beef flavor shine instead of masking it.

Can you use something other than cornmeal for pap?

Traditional pap is made with maize meal, fine quick cooking polenta gives a very similar result and is easier to find. You can also use regular cornmeal, adjusting the cooking time.

Is seswaa good for kids?

Yes, the tender meat and mild pap generally appeal to kids. Just double check there are no small bones or cartilage left when shredding the meat.

How long does it take to make a seswaa with pap and spinach?

Count 3 h 20 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a seswaa with pap and spinach?

About 600 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a seswaa with pap and spinach cost?

About €4.10 per serving, or €16.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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