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1
Bring water and salt to a boil in a large pot. When it boils, add the cornmeal all in one go, mix, cover and cook undisturbed over very gentle heat for about 30 - 60 minutes.
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2
That is the method a black lady I know always used (although she didn't measure a thing, but neither do I, when I make pap).
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3
It gets to be easy after a few times, just pouring a small stream of cornmeal into the boiling water and stirring. You know when the consistency will be to your liking.
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4
I find it easier, and safer for the final smoothness, to stir or whisk while I pour in the dry cornmeal.
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5
(Cornmeal in Africa is known as maize meal or mealie meal. White cornmeal is preferred by African peoples, and it's a bad year for corn when producers have to add yellow corn to the white in order to produce enough of the product for the market).
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6
As pap is bland and merely a vehichle for other tastes, it is always eaten with a savory soup or stew or sauce. A favourite meal among Black and White alike is pap with tomato-and-onion sauce, with grilled meats alongside. But where the eaters have to make do with little, a sauce or soupy stew will suffice.
