Botswanan Morogo Bean Stew with Pap

Ingredients

• 8 cups chopped spinach or other leafy greens
• 1 can white or kidney beans, drained
• 1 1/2 cups maize meal or coarse cornmeal
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 green chili, minced
• 1 cup vegetable stock or water
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley

Steps

1. Start the pap first, since it takes the longest. Bring 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy pot.
2. Whisk 1/2 cup of the maize meal into 1 cup cold water to make a slurry, stir it into the boiling water, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining maize meal in a steady stream while stirring hard, then cover and cook over the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring and scraping the base every 5 minutes. Pap catches and scorches the moment it is left alone.
4. Meanwhile heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 6 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and chili for 30 seconds.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes, pressing them down, until they break down into a thick sauce and the oil separates at the edges.
6. Add the greens in handfuls, letting each batch wilt before adding more, then the beans, stock, and salt.
7. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the greens are completely tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce that clings rather than pools.
8. Beat the pap hard for a final minute until it is stiff and smooth, then serve it in mounds with the morogo alongside, the cilantro scattered over, and lemon wedges.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.