Some dishes need a fancy introduction. Smoortjie is not one of them.
Smoortjie has always had a special place in Cape Malay and Cape Coloured home cooking.
And please, let us retire the idea that smoortjie belongs in the “poor man’s food” corner.
Okay, sometimes you make smoortjie because the month is dragging and the grocery budget needs to behave. Other times you make it because you have been smaaking that tomatoey, spicy goodness since midday.
Then there are those evenings when you walk through the front door after a long day, kick off your shoes and realise you need food quickly. Smoortjie makes sense. It gets the job done without asking you to spend half the evening in the kitchen.
The word smoortjie is linked to the Afrikaans “smoor”, referring to food cooked slowly in a sauce.
The usual proteins include penny polony, viennas, chicken liver, sausage and pilchards. Each one gives the dish its own character. That’s why we love the smoortjie. There is room for personal preference.
The word itself points towards a cooked-down mixture, and the dish has long been part of Cape Malay and Cape Coloured home cooking. It belongs to that category of food where the recipe lives partly in memory.
Ask someone how much spice they use and you may get the classic Cape answer: “Ag, just enough.”
Enough for what?
Nobody knows.
A pinch here. A spoonful there. Taste it. Add something. Taste it again.
That is also why two pots of smoortjie can taste completely different while still being unmistakably smoortjie.
Then serve it with rice, bread or pap. Some people enjoy it with potatoes. Others will happily eat it straight from the plate with a fork and a piece of bread nearby for scooping up every last bit of sauce.
And yes, leftovers can be dangerous territory. A pot that looked generous at dinner can mysteriously shrink once someone wanders back into the kitchen.
Penny polony smoortjie recipe
Prep & Cook Time
- Prep time: 10 mins
- Cooking time: 20 mins
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Penny Polony (warme worsies): 500g, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Vegetable oil: 2 tbsp
- Butter: 1 tbsp (optional, for extra richness)
- Large onion: 1, finely sliced
- Green bell pepper: 1 medium, chopped or sliced into strips
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
- Fresh red chili: 1, sliced (or ½ tsp chili flakes for moderate heat)
- Tomato paste: 2 tbsp
- Grated/chopped tomatoes: 2 medium fresh tomatoes (or ½ tin chopped tomatoes)
- Sugar: 1 to 1½ tsp (balances the acidity of the tomatoes)
- Chicken braai masala or curry powder: 1 tsp
- Water: ¼ cup hot water
- Salt & black pepper: to taste
- Fresh coriander (dhania): chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the oil and butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and green pepper. Cook for 5–6 minutes until the onions turn soft and translucent and the peppers soften slightly.
- Add Spices & Garlic: Stir in the garlic, fresh chili, and masala/curry powder. Fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Build the Sauce Base: Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Pour in the ¼ cup of hot water, mix well, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 6–8 minutes until the tomatoes break down into a thick, glossy sauce.
- Cook the Penny Polony: Add the sliced penny polony into the bubbling sauce. Stir well so every piece is coated. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer gently for 5–7 minutes until the polony pieces swell up and absorb the sauce flavors.
- Finish & Serve: Give it a taste and adjust the salt or sugar if needed. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve hot over white rice or mashed potatoes.
- Spoon it inside freshly buttered white bread or hot rolls.
- Pair with a side of Malay blatjang (chutney) or atchar.
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