Easy Creamy Samp Recipe
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With this recipe, you can make an easy, rich, and delicious creamy samp recipe, a classic comfort food enjoyed across many Southern African countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and my beautiful home country, Namibia. It tastes delicious on its own or served with chakalaka, spinach, or potjie.
What is Samp?
Samp is a humble, versatile, and traditional staple made from dried maize (corn) kernels. The kernels are pounded to remove the hard outer hull and break them into smaller pieces. During this process, the hull separates from the kernels, leaving behind what we know as samp, coarsely cracked maize kernels.
Samp can be prepared in many different ways. It can be cooked plain, made creamy, with meat, with dried beans, or even with a combination of dried beans and nuts. Today, I’m going to show you how to make creamy samp using fresh cream and milk.
For the best results, soak the samp overnight before cooking. Once soaked, it usually takes less than an hour to become soft and tender. Cooking it without soaking takes much longer and uses more electricity, gas, or firewood.
Although this maize dish is called samp and prepared in a similar way across Southern Africa, it also has different local names depending on the country and language. In South Africa, besides samp, it is also called Umngqusho in Xhosa and Isitambu in Zulu. Zimbabweans call it Mutakura in Shona and Umnqushu in Ndebele. In my native language, Oshikwanyama, spoken in Namibia, we call it Omusha wEpungu, which directly translates to maize stew, just to mention a few.
Growing up, samp was one of those comforting meals we ate regularly. In the mornings, we would put a big pot over an open fire with large pieces of wood and let it cook slowly while we were at school. By the time we came home, all that was left to do was season it, stir in some homemade butter, and enjoy. We made it both sweet and savoury, and to this day it remains one of my favourite childhood comfort foods.
Ingredients Used to Make This Recipe
- 125 g about ¾ cup / 4.4 oz), samp (coarsely broken maize kernels), soaked in water for 8 hours
- 1 small onion, peeled and minced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 150 ml (⅔ cup / 5 fl oz) milk
- 150 ml (⅔ cup / 5 fl oz) heavy whipping cream
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
How to Make Creamed Samp
After soaking the samp for about 8 hours, drain and rinse it until the water runs fairly clear.
Transfer the samp to a medium pot and add enough water to cover it completely. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the samp is soft and tender. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent it from drying out or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
About 5 minutes before the samp is done cooking, whisk together the milk and cream in a bowl. Heat the oil in a separate pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir well until combined. Slowly pour in the milk and cream mixture, whisking continuously until smooth. Stir in the sugar, dried thyme, and a pinch of nutmeg. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Once the samp is soft, remove it from the heat and drain it, reserving some of the cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce later.
Add the cooked samp to the creamy sauce and stir until well combined. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes too thick, stir in a little of the reserved cooking water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Finally, stir in the butter until melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and black pepper if needed.
Your creamy samp is now ready to serve. Enjoy it on its own or serve it with your favourite stew, chakalaka, spinach, or grilled meat.
Easy Creamy Camp Recipe
Ingredients
- 125 g (about ¾ cup / 4.4 oz) Samp (coarsely broken maize kernels), soaked in water for 8 hours
- 1 small onion , diced
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons plain flour/ all purpose flour
- 150 ml (⅔ cup / 5 fl oz) milk
- 150 ml (⅔ cup / 5 fl oz) heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- After soaking the samp for about 8 hours, drain and rinse it until the water runs fairly clear.
- Transfer the samp to a medium pot and add enough water to cover it completely. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the samp is soft and tender. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent it from drying out or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- About 5 minutes before the samp is done cooking, whisk together the milk and cream in a bowl.
- Heat the oil in a separate pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well until combined.
- Slowly pour in the milk and cream mixture, whisking continuously until smooth. Stir in the sugar, dried thyme, and a pinch of nutmeg. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Once the samp is soft, remove it from the heat and drain it, reserving some of the cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce later.
- Add the cooked samp to the creamy sauce and stir until well combined. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes too thick, stir in a little of the reserved cooking water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Finally, stir in the butter until melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and black pepper if needed.
- Your creamy samp is now ready to serve. Enjoy it on its own or serve it with your favourite stew, chakalaka, spinach, or grilled meat.
Did you make this creamed samp recipe? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a review and add rating to it.
