IF there is one dish that you are almost always guaranteed to find at big events like weddings and even during Botswana’s Independence Day celebrations, it would be Seswaa.
Seswaa is the national dish of Botswana. This meat dish is made from beef, goat, lamb or chicken and boiled with onion and pepper until soft and tender. That’s all there is to it. In fact, adding anything more would be frowned upon by any Botswana resident.
Like every good stew in southern Africa, it is cooked low and slow in a three-legged cast iron pot. Once the meat is soft, it is pounded or shredded and served on a bed of a pap.
This is mainly prepared by men who can put a bit of muscle into pounding and shredding the beef once cooked. But for the purpose of being able to cook this dish anytime at home, we have decided to share the recipe.
This recipe is very easy and there are only four steps to the whole process.
Ingredients
Beef
Onions
Bay leaves
Salt
Black pepper
Water
Methods
1. Pre-heat your oven to 160°C. Cut meat into large chunks then brown in a dish suitable for slow cooking in the oven.
2. Add the whole peeled onion, salt, cracked black pepper, water and bay leaves. Bring to the boil then cover and place in the oven for 4 hours.
3. After 4 hours, remove your Seswaa from the oven and place it on a stove burner to cook off any remaining liquid. Use a wooden spoon to pound or mash up the meat. It should fall apart quite easily until it appears shredded. You can then brown the meat further if desired.
4. Taste it to check the seasoning then serve with polenta or the more traditional Bogobe and a side of green vegetables.
Here you have it… Seswaa, ready to eat!