Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Umqa

Umqa is a beloved traditional side dish from the Xhosa culture. This recipe, crafted by Chef Siyabulela Kobo, showcases a delightful mix of Butternut Mat, sautéed Butternut cubes, and Butternut purée, all beautifully enhanced by a crunchy crumble made from Butternut peels and seeds.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine African

Ingredients

Umqa

200 g Butternut / McCain Frozen Mashed Butternut
60 g Maize meal
140 ml Water
20 g Flora Plant Bake

Butternut Mat

400 g Butternut / McCain Frozen Mashed Butternut
150 ml Water
60 g chopped onion
15 g chopped garlic
50 g Champagne Valley Stonemill Flour
5 g Baking powder

Sautee’d Butternut Cubes

400 g Butternut cubes
50 g chopped onion
15 g chopped garlic
a little brown sugar or syrup
20 g Flora Plant Bake
20 ml Vegetable, avocado or coconut oil

Butternut Pureé

800 g McCain Frozen Mashed Butternut
150 g chopped onion
20 g 20g chopped garlic
10 ml Vegetable, avocado or coconut oil
200 ml Water
20 g Flora Plant Bake

Butternut Peels And Seeds Crumble

100 g Butternut seed
30 g Butternut peels
20 g Flora Plant Bake
45 g Champagne Valley Stonemill Flour
3 g Baking powder
150 ml Water
30 g Spinach purée using McCain Garden Spinach

Instructions

Umqa

Boil water in a pot, add butternut and boil until soft. Pour maize meal while stirring. Close the pot with a lid. lower the temperature and occasionally stir the mixture. Cook for 25 minutes. Season with salt to taste and stir in Flora Plant Bake, set aside to slightly cool. Roll the umqa into medium size and set aside to finish it off later.

Butternut Mat

Sauté onion until translucent and add garlic. Pour water, add butternut. Season with salt to taste, pour into a blender and pulse into a smooth purée. Set the purée aside to cool. Mix flour, baking powder and the purée in a bowl. Pour the mixture on a silicon mat, bake at 100 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes and set aside to cool for later use.

Sautee’d Butternut Cubes

Sauté onion in a pan with oil until translucent. Then, add garlic and butternut cubes, cook and stir. Incorporate sugar / syrup and simmer over medium heat until the syrup thickens. Season with salt, mix in Flora Plant Bake, and let it cool for later use.

Butternut Pureé

Sauté onion and garlic, then mix in roasted butternut. Add butternut stock and simmer until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper, and incorporate Flora Plant Bake. Blend until smooth using a blender and set aside for later use.

Butternut Peels And Seeds Crumble

Boil the burned umqa from the bottom of the pot used to cook umqa. Pour the mixture into a blender and pulse until smooth. Set aside and cool. Pour the cooled mixture into a bowl with flour, and baking powder and mix well. Pour on a silicon mat and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Crush and pulse in a food blender until the texture resembles breadcrumbs. Add Flora Plant Bake and cook until crisp. Add toasted seeds and peels, season to taste and set aside for later use.

Assembling the Dish

Spread the butternut purée on the rolled-out dough, then roll it up twice with the crumble. Arrange the sautéed butternut cubes on the dough, add the seeded crumble, and roll it into a log shape. Reheat the roll in the oven, then position it off-centre on the plate. Top the roll with purée, and cubes, and garnish with micro herbs. Before serving, pour the butternut sauce in the centre of the plate.

Video

Keywords African cuisine, african flavours, african foods, butternut, celebrating heritage, Champagne Valley Stonemill, Flora Plant Bake, food culture, Good Life Show, Good Life Show Africa, indigenous foods, McCain Foods, Plant Powered Show, pumpkin and maize, Siyabulela Kobo, South African foods, Sustainability Institute, umqa, Woolworths

Recipes we’re loving:

Not So Baby Bliss

Fancy a delicious cocktail to toast your favourite vegetable? Grab a pack of McCain frozen Baby Carrots from the freezer and whip this up! This recipe was created by renowned Cape Town mixologist Roxanne Read.

Vegan Pumpkin Arancini with Pumpkin Seed Sage Pesto Sauce

Discover this simple Vegan Pumpkin Arancini Balls recipe featuring a crispy coating and a delicious pumpkin and sage risotto filling. This dish was showcased by Chef Ru Ferosa, a private chef and owner of Utano Kitchen in Cape Town, South Africa, at this year’s Good Life Show—Africa’s leading event for food, drink, and conscious living.

Snack Medley: Cassava Chips, Bean Balls, and Roasted Jugo Beans & Chickpeas

This Snack Medley Recipe for Cassava Chips, Bean Balls, and Roasted Jugo (Bambara) Beans & Chickpeas, demoed by Siphiwe Sithole at this years Good Life Show turns cassava root, bambara beans, and chickpeas into crispy, flavourful bites. These perfectly seasoned treats serve as a delightful and quick appetiser or snack option.