Isinkwa Sombila
3 to 4
Easy
25 minutes
1½ hours
Think of this as a cross between steamed corn bread and a Mexican tamale. ‘I grew up with starchy, white mealies,’ says Keletso. ‘You would see them everywhere on the side of the road.’ They can be difficult to find these days, he adds, so you can use yellow sweetcorn instead, which is often readily available at Woolies.
Ingredients
Method
- 2 cups freshly grated maize kernels
- 120 g flour
- ½ t baking powder
- ¼ t salt
- 1 T sugar
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 1 T melted butter (optional)
Method
Ingredients
1. Remove the husks from the mielies, keeping them whole, and place in water. Grate the kernels off the cobs and set aside the cobs.
2. Mix the grated corn kernels, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir in the water and butter to make a thick batter.
3. Stack 2–3 corn husks together and spoon 2–3 T of batter into the centre. Roll the husks over the batter and tie with a husk strip. Repeat with the remaining batter and husks.
4. Place the maize cobs in the base of a large saucepan or use a steamer basket. Add just enough water to reach the tops of the cobs, then arrange the parcels on top. The water shouldn’t cover the parcels.
5. Cover tightly and steam for 1½ hours, topping up the water as required. Do not let the pan boil dry.
6. Remove from the saucepan, unwrap and enjoy warm with amasi, greens, or your favourite stew.
Cook’s note: For a lighter, sweeter version, use sweetcorn instead of starchy green mielies. The result is a softer texture and subtle sweetness that’s perfect for serving with butter, honey, or jam – especially as a comforting breakfast or tea-time treat.
Stylist: Emma Nkunzana
Food assistant: Bianca Jones
Videographer: Romy Wilson
Photographer: Shavan Rahim
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