BOTSWANA: Seswaa, Diphaphatha Flatbread, and Grilled Corn

Seswaa, the national dish of Botswana, breaks the OWW formula in that is takes longer than 45 minutes to prepare; it cooks low and slow for 6-8 hours. But the active cooking time is about 5 minutes, and it uses minimal ingredients, so I ran with it. I replaced the pap — the cornmeal and beef broth porridge with which seswaa is traditionally served — with grilled corn. The latter is also common to Botswana and more up my family's alley.

Seswaa

2½ lbs bone-in beef, such as chuck or flank

1 yellow onion

4 bay leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

black pepper, to taste

1. Add the meat to a slow cooker. Peel the onion and cut into 8 pieces. Add it to the slow cooker.

2. Add enough water to fully cover the meat, about 4 cups. Put in the bay leaves and salt.

3. Cook on low heat, ~ 185°F for 6-8 hours, until easily shredded with a fork.

4. Check on the meat after 4 hours. If it falls off the bone easily, it’s about done. If it’s still clinging to the bone, give it some more time.

5. Remove the meat and onions from the broth. Pull the meat apart with two forks until it’s fully shredded and mix in the onions. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Diphaphatha Flatbread

3 cups all-purpose flour (I used Cup4Cup)

1½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoons sugar (add an extra tablespoon if you want sweeter diphaphatha)

1 teaspoon (~½ packet) instant yeast

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Put flour in a large mixing bowl. And the dry ingredients and mix together with a fork until blended.

2. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the oil and 1 cup warm water (water should feel just slightly hot when you run it over your wrist).

3. Mix water into the flour to make a dry dough. If not all flour is incorporated, add up to another ½ cup of water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the mixture comes together.

4. Knead for 5 minutes. Place a damp towel over top of the bowl and let it proof in a warm place for 30 minutes.

5. To cook, heat a griddle or large skillet over medium low heat. Divide dough into quarters, then half those to make 8 even portions. Roll each portion in your palms to make a large bowl. Flatten to a thick disc shape. Place on griddle and cook until golden with brown spots, about 7 minutes. Flip and repeat on second side.

Grilled Corn

4 ears fresh, yellow corn

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

Salt, smoked paprika, and/or cumin to taste

1. Turn on grill to medium high. Husk corn, brush cobs with oil, and place on grill.

2. Use tongs to turn corn every few minutes, to get a nice char on all sides.

3. Brush with butter and sprinkle with seasoning of your choice.

 #botswana #seswaa #flatbread #corn #slowcooker 

FUN FACTS:

• There are around 130,000 elephants in Botswana, the biggest population of elephants in the world.

• Botswana is roughly the same size as France, but has only one person for every 35 in France.

• Botswana is the world’s biggest diamond producing country in terms of value.