Ingredients
Maize
- 200 gpopping maize
- dry kernels
To pop
- 3 tablespoonsoil
- or clean dry sand
- for the traditional method
To finish
- salt, to taste
- 150 groasted peanuts
- skinned
- a little sugar, optional
To serve
- in paper bags
- at a bus stop
- at a football ground
Directions
- Heat turns it to steam under pressure. The kernel must have the right moisture. Discard any that smell musty or taste bitter. Vendors work bus stops and stadiums.
- Pick over the kernels for stones. Discard any that are cracked or damaged. They also burn in the hot pot. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. Use a pot with a tight fitting lid. It needs to be far larger than the maize.
- Drop in three or four kernels. Cover it and wait for them to pop. Tip in the rest of the maize now. Shake the pot to coat it in the oil. Cover it over with the tight lid. Leave the lid very slightly ajar. Popping it takes a few minutes. Keep the pot moving over the heat. Shake it back and forth constantly. Popped kernels sit on the bottom otherwise.
- Take it off when the pops space out. A few seconds between pops means stop. Tip it into a wide bowl immediately. That residual heat keeps cooking it. Heat clean dry sand in a heavy pot. Let it get genuinely very hot. It must be clean and completely dry.
- Sieve it first to remove stones. Stir the maize through the hot sand. Keep stirring it quite constantly. Scoop them off as they appear. Pour the whole lot through a coarse sieve. Shake it well to separate them.
- Shake it thoroughly to remove it. Pick out any unpopped kernels. Tip the popcorn out and leave them. Salt it generously while still hot. Salt sticks to hot oiled popcorn. It slides straight off cold popcorn. Salt it the moment it comes off. It is added while it is still hot.
- Mix the roasted peanuts through it. Adjust it all to your own taste. Serving it is done warm or cool. Scoop it into small paper bags. It keeps a day in a sealed bag.
Technique
- Clean dry sand is heated in a pot and the maize stirred through it: the sand surrounds each kernel and heats it evenly from all sides with no oil at all, and the popcorn is then sieved out while the sand falls through and is used again. It is a genuinely old technique, though a little grit always clings on, and most people now use oil instead.
- Popcorn is a genuine choking hazard, particularly for small children, since the pieces are light and irregular and easily inhaled; it is widely advised against for under-fours. Unpopped kernels break teeth and carry the same risk, so sort them out of the bottom of the bowl before serving.
- Take the pot off when the pops space out to a few seconds apart rather than waiting for the last kernel, which burns the rest; and tip it straight into a bowl, since the pot holds heat and keeps cooking the base.
Substitutions
- Oil is the usual modern method and gives a slightly richer result than sand.
- Roasted peanuts are mixed through, roughly one part to two of maize.
Variations
- Some vendors add a little sugar as well for a sweet and salty mix.
- The proportion of peanuts varies considerably between sellers.
- It is sold in small paper bags at bus stops and football grounds.
History
Maize popped in a dry pot with sand or oil, sold in bags at bus stops and football grounds.
Frequently asked questions
What is Maputi?
Maputi is a snack from Zimbabwe: popped maize kernels, Zimbabwe’s popcorn, often with peanuts. Maize popped in a dry pot with sand or oil, sold in bags at bus stops and football grounds.
How long does Maputi take to make?
Maputi takes 5 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Maputi?
Yes, within limits. Oil is the usual modern method and gives a slightly richer result than sand. Roasted peanuts are mixed through, roughly one part to two of maize.
What is the most important thing to get right in Maputi?
Heat turns it to steam under pressure. The kernel must have the right moisture. Discard any that smell musty or taste bitter. Vendors work bus stops and stadiums.
