Simply dish-licious: We all have a tasty go-to-meal we love

Hello everyone!

After last week’s braai recipes, I thought I would end Heritage Month with some of South Africa’s favourites, sharing heritage recipes from the talented chefs at Capsicum Culinary.

Last week I was part of a Heritage Day cook-off at the foundation I teach at.

Although we made a simple but classic South African dish consisting of pap, chakalaka, beans and boerewors, it was amazing to see these chefs in action, showing off a part of their culture through food.

The beauty of making traditional foods that we each love is that these foods can literally be made with our eyes closed.

If I look at a simple dish like pap, it uses basic ingredients, yet every home has their own way of making it.

We all have a special pot or cup to measure, a certain technique in folding or stirring it, and the best part is the happiness that comes when you open that pot and find that the pap is cooked to perfection.

The chefs I teach will use simple, homely dishes and recreate them by giving them a different twist.

This is a great way to introduce a mix of different foods and flavours through our cultures while adding a gourmet touch.

South Africa’s rainbow nation is really blessed with such beautiful and diverse cultures, and it is so important to share the love, celebrate where we come from, and share a bit of who we are with others.

For more recipes or baking and cooking inspiration, visit my website www.sprinklesandspice.co.za or visit my social media platforms on Instagram @sprinklesandspicect or Facebook Sprinkles and Spice by Farzana Kumandan.

Happy cooking and baking.

Love, your Cooksister

Lerato’s Steamed Bread

Ingredients

480g cake flour

240g mealie meal

10ml salt

10ml sugar

10g dry yeast

750ml lukewarm water

Method

Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the lukewarm water and mix to a soft dough.

Remove from the bowl and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, then form into a ball, cover with greased cling film and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Knock the dough down, form again into a ball and place in a greased dish.

Knot a cloth around the bowl and place it into a pot of boiling water.

Place the lid on the pot and boil gently for an hour.

Poke a knife or skewer into the middle to see if it is cooked, then serve and enjoy with any meat or poultry stew

Lerato’s Beef stew

Ingredients

1,2kg beef

2 onions, diced

2 celery stalks, with the tops

4 carrots

2 tbs toasted and ground cumin

2 tbs toasted and ground coriander

1 tbs salt

1 tsp pepper

125ml ginger

6 cloves garlic, mashed

300ml tomato puree

4 tbs of sugar

3 bay leaves

2 chillies (optional)

Bunch of fresh coriander

1 litre of liquid beef stock

Method

Cut beef into cubes, season with salt and pepper and allow to marinade for an hour.

Dice onion, chop carrots and celery and set aside.

Blend tomato puree with ginger and garlic (and the chilli if using).

In a large pot heat oil and seal off the beef on medium heat, then set aside.

In the same pot, sauté the onions until translucent then add carrots and celery.

Place the beef back into the pot and add the spices and bay leaves then mix.

Add the blended tomato puree and beef, cover and simmer for two hours.

Remove the lid and leave for an hour to reduce the liquid. Add chopped fresh coriander and adjust seasoning.

Amy Foundation’s Chakalaka

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

1 large onion sliced

1 chilli finely chopped

2 carrots sliced in julienne

1 green pepper sliced

2 tins of baked beans

Salt to taste

Method

Braise the onion in oil.

Add the chilli, carrots and pepper and cook until the carrots are slightly soft.

Add the beans and cook until heated.

Add salt to taste and serve.

Imtiyaaz’s Cape Bobotie

Ingredients for bobotie filling

1 large onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic minced

½ cup raisins

3 tbsp apricot jam

2 slices white bread, crusts removed

½ cup full cream milk

2 tbsp flaked almonds

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 tbsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp curry powder mild

1 tsp dried oregano and basil mix

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Ingredients for the egg custard

3 eggs

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 185°C.

Take two bowls. Soak the crustless slices of bread in the milk.

Soak the raisins in water. Set both bowls aside.

In a large pan or skillet, heat cooking oil and sauté the onions over medium heat for five minutes until translucent.

Add all the spices, minced garlic and ground beef while stirring regularly to break down into small grains.

Cook for about 10 minutes until brown. Add the apricot jam and mix well.

Meanwhile, squeeze the milk out of the bread with your hands, but preserve the milk in a separate bowl to use for the egg topping.

Drain the water from the raisins. Add the raisins, bread and almond flakes to the mixture and stir well together. Cook for another five minutes on medium heat.

Transfer the mixture into an oven dish.

Use the back of a spoon to press the beef mixture down and flatten well to make the top smooth.

The egg topping needs to stay on top and not disappear into the meat. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, turmeric, cumin, salt and the milk that was used to soak the bread.

Pour the egg mixture over the meat, arrange the bay leaves on top.

Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the egg custard is set.

Serve immediately with yellow rice and tomato salad.

Lerato’s Milk Tart Jaffle

Ingredients

2 slices of white bread, buttered

milk tart filling of your choice (cooled)

2 eggs

½ cup sugar

500ml milk

2 tbs butter

30ml corn flour

20ml flour

Salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ cup castor sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Method

Heat the milk in a saucepan.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together (except the castor sugar and cinnamon) and whisk in with the milk.

Whisk on medium heat to achieve a thick consistency. Be careful not to burn the mixture.

Set aside to cool.

Heat the jaffle iron on a gas burner and spray both sides with non-stick spray.

Arrange one slice of bread (with butter on the outside) on a flat surface and spoon on some of the milk tart mix.

Cover with the other slice of bread (again, with butter on the outside) and place in the jaffle iron. Close and cut off excess crusts.

Cook each side on gas flame to get even grid marks.

Mix the castor sugar and cinnamon, then roll jaffle in the mix while still hot.

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