Recipes & South-African cuisine

South African Food and Cuisine

South Africa is a land of great diversity of cultures which is why it’s fondly nicknamed ‘The Rainbow Nation’, and it’s this cultural diversity which has had a very strong influence on South African food and cuisine. It has given traditional South African dishes very unique and interesting flavours.

South Africa's wonderful cuisine is therefore a unique fusion of many different cultural influences. These include Dutch, French, Indian, Malaysian and a host of different subcultures under the "African" umbrella. These include Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, and many more. All of this combines to create the modern mix of cuisine that defines this land, delighting locals and visitors alike in its range and flavours.

On top of this, South Africa has exceptional wines to compliment its delightful cuisine.

To mention a few traditional dishes: 

• Bobotie 
• Boerewors. 
• Braai/Shisa nyama
• Cape Malay curry. 
• Bryani 
• Chakalaka & pap.
• Indian curry
• Bunny chow. 
• Malva pudding
• Melktert 
• Koeksisters 
• Amarula Don Pedro

🥘🥗🥣🍲🥘🥗🥣🍲🥘🥗🍲🥣

Recipes

Bobotie is a well-known South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Traditionally served with yellow rice. 

                          BOBOTIE 

INGREDIENTS

• ‌
  500g beef mincemeat
• ‌
  1largeonion, chopped
• ‌
  1 to 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• ‌
  1largecarrot or apple, peeled and grated
• ‌
  1 thick slice bread soaked in milk
• ‌
  1Tbsplemon juice or vinegar
• ‌
  A handful of almond slivers or flakes
• ‌
  2 to 3 bay leaves
• ‌
  2tspcurry powder
• ‌
  1tspground coriander
• ‌
  1tspturmeric powder
• ‌
  1tspsugar
• ‌
  1tspsalt
• ‌
  1Tbspapricot jam
• ‌
  1TbspWorcestershire sauce (optional)
• ‌
  1Tbspchutney (optional)
• ‌
  1Tbsptomato sauce (optional)
• ‌
  Oil
• Topping
• ‌
  250mlmilk or buttermilk
• ‌
  2 eggs
• Yellow rice
• ‌
  1cuprice
• ‌
  ½ tsp salt
• ‌
  1tspturmeric powder
• ‌
  1Tbspbutter
• ‌
  ¼ a cup raisins or sultanas
• ‌
  ½ a cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon powder

METHOD

• Fry the onion and garlic in the oil then add the ground meat. Add the curry, salt, sugar, coriander and turmeric and cook the meat until brown, crumble the meat with a fork or spoon to separate big lumps.

• Add the carrot, then mix through the jam, sauces and lemon juice. Add the soaked bread, making sure to break it up and mix it properly. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish and smooth the mixture.
• Topping
• Lightly whisk the milk or buttermilk and eggs. Pour the mixture over the meat. Scatter the nuts over the top and stick the bay leaves decoratively into the meat.
• Bake at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes, the egg custard should be set and golden brown.
• Yellow rice
• Rinse the rice.
• In a pot, bring water to a boil and add the rice.
• Add the salt, turmeric, cinnamon and the raisins and turn down the heat.

• If you do not like cooked raisins, add them with the butter at the end. I like to add dried cranberries instead.
• Simmer gently for about 25 minutes or until the rice is tender and dry.
• Remove the cinnamon stick, add the butter and fluff the rice lightly with a fork before turning it into a dish to serve.
• 🥘🥗🥣🍲🥘🥗🥣🍲🥘🥗🍲🥣

Melktert(Milktart) 

Melktert is a Afrikaner dessert consisting of a sweet pastry crust containing a custard filling made from milk, flour, sugar and eggs. The ratio of milk to eggs is higher than in a traditional Portuguese custard tart or Chinese egg tart, resulting in a lighter texture and a stronger milk flavour.

 INGREDIENTS

 Pastry:

 2 cups flour

 1 egg

 ½ cup sugar

 2 tsp baking powder

 125g butter

 pinch of salt

 Filling:

 4 ½ cups milk

 2 ½ tbsp cornflour

 1 cup sugar

 3 eggs

 pinch of salt

 2 ½ tbsp flour

 1 tsp vanilla essence

 a big spoon of butter

 METHOD

 Pastry:

 Cream butter and sugar well together and add the egg, before beating well.

 Add all other ingredients – making a stiff dough.

 Press into one or two round cake tins/pie dishes.

 Bake blind for 15 minutes at 180°C (use wax paper to cover the pastry and place dry beans/rice over the paper to weight the pastry down). Then remove the paper and beans/rice and bake for an additional 5 minutes until light brown.

 Filling:

 Bring milk to a gentle boil.

 Beat eggs well and add sugar, flour, cornflour and salt.

 Mix well.

 Pour boiling milk into the mixture and stir well.

 Return to stove and stir for 10-12 minutes on medium heat until the mixture thickens.

 Add butter and vanilla essence and mix through, then pour into cooked shell.

 Allow to cool in the fridge (you do not need to cook the tart any further)

 To decorate, sprinkle with cinnamon.

🥘🥗🥣🍲🥘🥗🥣🍲🥘🥗🍲🥣

Potjiekos

Potjiekos, is a traditional stew from South Afra. It is cooked outdoors in a round, cast iron, three-legged pot, called potjie. However, different to a normal stew, it should not be stirred. Food should be in layers. Longest cooking time required at bottom of pot to least cooing time at the top. There are many recipes, play around and crate your own. Send it to me :-) 

Lamb potjie

Ingredients

Cooks in:2 hours        Serves:6

• 2 kg lamb knuckles (trimmed of excess fat)
• 300ml tomato sauce
• 3 onions, chopped
• 1 large chilli, chopped
• 50 ml olive oil
• 400ml red wine
• 2 tsp chicken or veg stock powder
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 500g baby potatoes, peeled and cut in half
• 6 cloves garlic cut into long slivers
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin rings
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper deseeded and cut into thick strips
• 1 egg plant, cubed
• Half cup chopped parsley
• 250g large brown mushrooms, quartered
• Salt and black pepper

METHOD

1. Coat the knuckles in the tomato sauce of your choice and marinade overnight in fridge.

2. Remove from fridge and ensure meat is at room temperature before you start cooking.

3. Light fire an hour before cooking the potjie. Use potjie pot number three.

4. Brown onions in olive oil, add chilli. After a few minutes add the meat and seal.

5. Add sauce, red wine, stock powder, rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Stir and allow to simmer for an hour with the lid on.

6. Layer vegetables in order listed, seasoning each layer. Finishing with a layer of mushrooms. Do not stir.

7. Simmer slowly with the lid on for one and half hours or until the vegetables are cooked. Serve with rice or polenta 

🥘🥗🥣🍲🥘🥗🥣🍲🥘🥗🍲🥣