Main Meals

Umleqwa

6
Easy
20 minutes
3 hours

“I always slaughter a chicken when hosting guests. My favourite breed – uDlaki – has fluffy, golden feathers, a lot of fat and flavour that needs little more than salt and onions.” – Lipato Shogole

Wine/Spirit Pairing
Catherine Marshall Pinot Noir

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Ingredients

Method
  • 1⁄2 cup oil
  • 2 onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 whole free-range chicken, cut into 6–8 portions
  • 6 cups water
  • salt, to taste
  • umqa, for serving

Method

Ingredients

1. Heat a three-legged cast-iron pot over the coals, then add the oil and onions.
Fry until slightly softened, then add the chicken pieces. Fry, stirring often, until they’re slightly browned. Add the water and salt and cover. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. Check the softness of the chicken by flaking the chicken breast with a fork. If it doesn’t break apart easily, cook for a further hour until the meat falls apart. Add more water if necessary. Allow the gravy to cook into a rich, brown, salty sauce. Serve warm with umqa.

Find the recipe for umqa here. 

Find more South African recipes here. 

Photographs: Jan Ras
Production: Khanya Mzongwana

Lipato Shogole

Recipe by: Lipato Shogole

Lipato Shogole is a food activist and the co-founder of Ukutya, a Gqebera-born Sunday lunch club that serves indigenous menus and innovative remixes using traditional dishes. Lipato's latest project Hae Mahaeng is based in the Eastern Cape and focuses on community and food.

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