Who can resist a delicious paptert? Certainly not a born and bred South African, that’s for sure! In fact, if you take a paptert to a braai, put it on the table and turn around…by the time you turn back again, most of it will already be gone! And that’s the truth. Paptert is utterly irresistible.
If you were born and raised in South Africa, “paptert” needs no real introduction. For those who are newer to the concept – perhaps your new friends and colleagues overseas – a great description of a paptert is a “porridge tart” filled with delicious vegetables, bacon, and cheese. You can also get paptert made with condensed milk, for those with a sweet tooth. It’s best served at a braai or at any meal really, because paptert is like that: the anytime, anyplace kind of South African treat! One of the best things about paptert is that it can be sweet or savoury, meaning that there is a paptert recipe out there for everyone.
If you’re currently living and working overseas, you might believe that your paptert enjoying days are behind you, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! By popping down to your local South African store or doing a quick search on Amazon, you can easily get your hands on the main ingredient; mieliemeel. The rest of the ingredients are just as easy to get. All you really needs is an easy paptert recipe and you’re ready to make this treat at home – anywhere in the world.
Best Paptert Recipe
For a sweet tooth:
The paptert recipe is two-part. First you make the pap, then you make the filling, and lastly; you put it all together. Below is an easy paptert recipe for you to try.
What you need for the pap:
- 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 400g maize meal
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 1 tin sweetcorn kernels
- 1 tin creamed sweetcorn
- 1 tin condensed milk
What you need for the filling:
- 2 cups of tomato and onion mix (from a tin)
- 200g of chopped bacon
- Half punnet of chopped mushrooms
- 1 chopped green pepper
- 3 cups of grated cheddar
- 1 cup of whipped cream
- Ground pepper to taste
- Baking dish
How to make the pap:
- Pour 2 cups of water into a pot and bring to boil.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the salt, condensed milk and margarine.
- Slowly stir the maize meal into the water and stir slowly but thoroughly until the mixture becomes thick and stiff. To avoid lumps forming, you can stir vigorously with a whisk.
- Turn the heat to low and allow the pot to stand over the heat for around 20 minutes, until the pap is cooked through. You will need to stir regularly to ensure it doesn’t burn or stick.
How to make the filling:
- In a pan, fry the bacon, mushrooms, and green pepper.
- Heat the tinned tomato and onion separately.
How to put it all together:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Grease the baking dish/tray and spoon half of the mielie meal mixture into the dish.
- Layer half of the tomato and onion mix, bacon, mushrooms, and green pepper on top of the mielie meal layer.
- Sprinkle half of the grated cheddar cheese over the top.
- Add half of the fresh cream on top and use a fork or spoon to smooth it over.
- Repeat all the layers once more and finish it off with a few grinds of fresh pepper.
- Pop the dish into the oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the dish is golden and crispy.
If you are more interested in savoury or spicy dishes, this might not be the recipe for you. Let’s check out an alternative option for those who like a little bit of oomph in their treats.
Easy Paptert Recipe
Chakalaka version:
This one is for those who like a dish that has a bit of a bite. Follow the easy steps below.
What you need for the pap:
- 500g maize meal
- 50g butter or margarine
- 1.5l water
What you need for the filling:
- Oil for frying
- 2 tins of spicy Chakalaka tomato and onion mix
- 300ml water
- 1 tin sweet corn
- 20g sugar
- 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
How to make the pap:
- Add water to the pot and bring to boil.
- Turn down the heat and slowly add the maize meal, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens.
- Add the butter to the mixture and simmer.
How to make the filling:
- In a pot, mix the sweetcorn and Chakalaka and let simmer until soft and cooked through.
How to put it all together:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Grease a large oven dish and fill half of the pap into the bottom. Smooth it down with the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on top and then layer half of the sweetcorn and Chakalaka mixture.
- Repeat the layering of pap, cheese, and Chakalaka/Sweetcorn mix.
- Add a final layer of cheese on top and then pop it into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
- The dish is ready when the cheese is melted and going golden brown.
Serve this dish at a braai or at any type of gathering. It’s bound to be a big hit – as usual!
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