South Africa | Main dish

Umngqusho

Name: Umngqusho
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 140 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: South Africa, Southern Africa
Ingredients: 2 cups samp, soaked overnight; 1½ cups sugar beans, soaked overnight; 8 cups water; 2 tbsp butter or oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 medium tomatoes, chopped; salt and pepper, to taste

Xhosa samp and beans simmered until tender, often finished with onion, tomato, butter, and seasoning.

Country

South Africa

Region

Southern Africa

Time

160 min

Serves

Level

easy

Start cooking Explore South Africa recipes

01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Main dish

Base

2 cups samp, soaked overnight 1½ cups sugar beans, soaked overnight 8 cups water

Finish

2 tbsp butter or oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 medium tomatoes, chopped salt and pepper, to taste

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to South Africa

4 steps 20 min prep 140 min cook (check method) 160 min total easy

Cook samp and beans

Simmer soaked samp and beans in water until tender.

simmer 110:00

Season

Add salt once the beans are soft and continue cooking until creamy.

season 15:00

Make relish

Cook onion and tomatoes in butter or oil until soft.

relish 12:00

Fold together

Stir relish into samp and beans or serve it over the top.

finish 05:00

Some versions are plain and creamy, others add tomato, onion, spices, or meat stock.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for family lunch, heritage tables, and cold-weather meals.. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 160 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Umleqwa, beef stew, chakalaka, or butter and herbs.

Regional lane

Braai sides and sweet table. Relishes, custards, puddings, and tea-table desserts.

Chef watch-outs

Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.

How you know it is ready

The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.

Pantry lane

curry powder, apricot jam, chakalaka, mince, custard

Recipe illustrations

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Tender samp and beans mixed with tomato and onion relish — Umngqusho finished dish · Recipe illustration

Chef board

Build the table around Umngqusho

Umleqwa, beef stew, chakalaka, or butter and herbs.

Best route from here

Braai sides and sweet table

Collections to keep cooking

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