Boereboontjies | Mashed Potato & Green beans recipe
Remember those perfect Sunday lunches at your Ouma’s house? The table groaning under plates of food, cousins running around, and that one uncle already eyeing dessert? This dish is a hug in a bowl — simple, comforting, and made with love (and a scandalous amount of butter).
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
• 250g green beans – topped, tailed, and chopped into little half-inch heroes
• 250g potatoes – peeled and chunked into hearty bites
• 125g white onion – peeled and quartered (or eighths if they’re hefty)
• A generous knob of butter (because Ouma never measured butter)
• Salt – the seasoning of love
• Black pepper – freshly cracked for a cheeky kick
Ouma’s golden rule:
beans : potatoes = 1 : 1
onions = half the lot
No scale needed, just vibes.
Instructions:
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Pop beans, diced potato, and onions into a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, cover, and let them bubble for 15–20 minutes (until the potatoes are mash-soft).Instapot cousins: 1 cup of water, sprinkle of salt, 5 minutes on high, then 10-minute release.
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Drain & return. Tip into a colander, then back in the pot they go.
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Mash like Ouma. Add butter (lots), grind over some black pepper, and mash everything into a cozy, chunky mix. Taste, adjust, and sneak a spoonful before anyone notices.Serve it next to a roast, a braai, or all by itself in a big bowl with a fork — just like at Ouma’s table.