As a Saffa far from home, you may have found yourself searching ‘good old’ Google for information on how to cook mogodu the traditional way. After all, living abroad means that Ouma doesn’t live just around the corner anymore, so you can’t ask her to whip up a batch for you at a moment’s notice. And let’s be honest, her afval recipe is certainly worthy of rivalling even the best Jan Braai kerrie afval!

A rose by another name – or rather a bowl of steaming stewy goodness, afval, mogodu or pens n pootjies are titles given to a dish worthy of an accolade of names. In fact, this simple traditional South African dish ranks top of the list of delectable South African treats that includes things like Biltong, vetkoek, boerewors en melktert.

What is afval, mogodu and pens n pootjies?

Traditionally made from beef tripe (chopped stomach lining), afval is a winter staple or a throughout-the-year celebration meal that never fails to please the palate of even the most voracious appetite! Ask any South African what you need for the best celebration meal known to man, and they will tell you; all you need to do is lay your hands on some tripe and the best mogodu recipe!

Of course, you know that the best pens n pootjies recipe still resides in South Africa, ensconced in Ouma’s kitchen, so why not try a mogodu recipe from the Lazy makoti herself? Her recipes are quick, tasty and, most importantly, simple, making it a lot easier to enjoy that taste of home when struggling with a little homesickness! Just don’t tell Ouma we said so!

Aside from beef tripe, some of the lekkerste kerrie afval recipes also include meat variations such as lamb tripe and trotters (pens n pootjies), lambs head and pork trotters.

Easy curry afval recipe

 If you’re looking for an easy mogodu or afval recipe to use this weekend, we’ve found just the one for you! Aside from being super easy to make, it’s also extremely nutritious and is bound to solve those homesick blues in just one serving!

Cleaning the tripe

If you live abroad, you may need to ask your butcher to order some tripe for your afval dish as most European countries don’t utilize this meat product very often. However, if you’re still living in sunny Africa, then tripe is easily purchased in most butchers and grocery stores with a meat counter; yay! All tripe recipes start with cleaning the tripe, and ours is no exception. Cleaning the tripe thoroughly ensures it is disinfected properly (its stomach lining, guys, it must be clean!) and minimizes any odour.

What you need to clean the tripe

• 1 tsp table salt
• 3 tsp rock salt
• White vinegar
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 new toothbrush (cheapest brand you can find)

What to do when cleaning the tripe

• Rub the rock salt into the tripe (front and back).
• Then using your sharp knife, scrape the tripe on both sides to remove all impurities.
• Next, use the toothbrush to clean every pocket and fold of the tripe, removing any bits of debris you could not reach when scraping with the knife.
• Use the white vinegar to rinse tripe; this also disinfects it.
• Lastly, add the table salt to a large pot of water, place the tripe into the pot and boil on high heat for at least 15 minutes.
• Discard the water, and now your tripe is ready to be cooked!

What you need for cooking the afval

• 1 kg tripe (beef/lamb stomach lining)
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 green pepper finely diced
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 fresh garlic clove minced
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 sachet mutton soup powder or 2 mutton stock cubes

What to do

• Chop the trip into bite-sized chunks and season with curry powder, garlic and salt. Rub the seasoning into the tripe well and allow it to marinade for at least one hour.
• Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pot and lightly saute the onions, then add the tripe and stir well.
• Next, cover the tripe with approximately 8 cups of water and bring the water to a boil.
• Once the water boils, reduce the heat and simmer for another hour before adding the pepper, tomatoes and soup powder/stock cubes. Stir well and cover.
• Then allow the tripe to simmer for another hour or until it is soft and tender, then serve with rice or mielie pap, whichever you prefer!

The final lick of the afval pot

Whether you are looking for a traditional meal to wow your new-found international friends and neighbours or simply want to enjoy the succulent flavours of home, a bowl of steaming afval is always the best option. The rich stock, herbs and spices will surely add that special something to any gathering, from birthday parties to weddings and even that weekend rugby match. Alternatively, you could always cook it and enjoy it all by yourself! Besides, who wants to share gorgeous mogodu unless they really have to?

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