RECIPES

A selection of popular recipes, some typically South African, others just easy to make family favourites - with our family and many others.  Please post on our Facebook page if you enjoy making them and a pic would be great too!  Please scroll down to see them all.

Durban Mutton Curry Recipe

Ingredients

500g mutton or lamb (bite size pieces)                           

100ml oil

1 bay leaf

3 small cinnamon sticks

1tsp fennel seeds

1 large onion chopped

1 sprig curry leaves or Coriander

2 tsp ginger & garlic paste

2tsp salt

¼ tsp turmeric

4 tbl masala

6 even sized potatoes

3 sprig fresh coriander (chopped dhania)

1 medium tomato

Use water if desired

Instructions

1. Heat oil and then add onion, turmeric & spices to fry for a few seconds (allow onion to soften)

2. Add masala, ginger & garlic allow to cook for a few seconds (do not burn masala)

3. Add tomato (when almost cooked stir in meat and allow to sauté)

4. Remove some coals to the side and place lid on potjie

5. Cook until meat begins to fry up

6. Add the curry/coriander leaves and salt

7. Add the water (if necessary) and potatoes

8. Allow to boil, then simmer gently

9. Cook until meat is tender & potatoes are soft  (Remember mutton takes a lot longer than lamb to become tender)

SOMETHING EASY FOR CHRISTMAS - If you have left it too late or just don't like baking rich Christmas Cakes - here is my favourite quick, cheap and easy, un-iced Christmas fruit cake:

Christmas Fruit Cake – The cheap and easy way!

In a largish saucepan,  mix:
250g / 1½ cups        Mixed Dried Fruit (Currants, sultanas, candy peel  and raisins)
½ cup             Butter
¾ cup             Sugar
1 cup             Water

Bring to the boil over a med heat, reduce and simmer for 5 minutes
Allow to cool, then add 1 tspn Bi-carb soda and stir it in slowly

In a bowl, sieve dry ingredients:
2 cups             Flour (Plain)
1                      tspn Baking Powder
1        tspn each of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Mixed Spice (you can use all of these or 
leave one or other out according to taste)

Add dry ingredients to fruit mix and stir in well.
Beat 1 egg in a cup or small bowl and add to mixture, stirring in well.
Add chopped cherries and nuts to taste
Add  ½ cup of brandy  (obviously Klippies is best!) and stir in.

(If you enjoy a richer, quite moist cake – use Luxury fruit mix with pieces of candied pineapple in and add a block of chopped dates to fruit when cooking)

Grease large loaf, square or round, cake tin well and then coat with flour or line the tin very well.
Bake at 180C for about 1 hour (until golden and cooked to the needle test).
Turn out of tin to cool on a rack.  When cold, store in airtight tin.

SOUPS

Oxtail Potjie
Size 3 potjie

1      Oxtail (jointed)

15ml     Oil
1    Chopped Onion
1    clove Chopped garlic
Bay leaf or 2
Fresh Rosemary & Parsley or 5ml of each dried
500ml    Beef Stock
30ml    Vinegar or lemon juice
Salt & Pepper (black or white) (+ 10ml salt)
3 or 4 leeks – roughly cut up
1 – 2 sticks green celery (leaves)
6 young carrots
250g green peas – fresh or frozen

Heat oil in potjie, brown meat, add onion & garlic and cook until golden and transparent.
Add herbs, hot stock and lemon juice to meat and season to taste.  Cover and cook for  3 – 4 hours – until meat is tender.  Layer vegetables – leeks, celery, carrots & peas in order.  Add more stock if necessary. Cook until veges are ready (30mins).

Braai Sauce
Fry onions in oil until opaque, add curry powder or curry paste to taste and fry for 2 mins.  Add chopped tomatoes of a tin of tomato and onion mix (Available at Biltong Direct – the local varieties are very acidic).  Mix in a dash of Worcestershire Sauce, a spoon of honey, crushed garlic, a pinch of mixed herbs and salt and pepper.

Stirring all the time, cook until the tomatoes are soft and tender and the sauce is well blended.

Thicken as preferred with a flour and water paste.  This can be used as a dip as well.

Cape Malay Babotie

Another favourite meal based on mince beef or lamb, which comes in many forms depending on your culture.  Basic recipe can be changed with the addition of Mrs. Balls Chutney or dried apricots, bay leaves and many other secret ingredients known only by individual families.

Bobotie    This is a favourite, economical dish, with a mild Cape Malay curry flavour. 

Can be bought from BILTONG DIRECT in ‘kit’ form or made from scratch.

1Kg Beef Mince    
2 med Onions
2 Eggs
2 Tbs. Rajah Curry Powder (to taste)
2 Tbs Butter
1 thick slice of  bread (soaked in + 1 Cup of Milk
12ml Sugar
2 Tbs Vinegar (Brown)
5ml Salt

Fry the chopped onion in butter.  Blend curry powder, salt, sugar and vinegar and add to onions.  Add mince meat and mix in well.  Drain milk from bread (retain milk), then mash bread with a fork and add to meat mixture.  Add 1 well beaten egg and mix well.
Place mixture in a greased oven dish.  Separately add the remaining egg to the milk strained from bread  (if less than two thirds of a cup – make up to that amount) and beat well adding salt and pepper to taste.  Make fork holes in the meat and gently pour milk mixture over it.  Put a few dabs of butter on top.  Place dish into a larger dish half filled with water and then into oven to bake at 180C for 40mins. or until set and golden.

SOME SOUTH AFRICAN SPECIALITY PUDDINGS

        Peppermint Crisp Tart

        Thin a tin of Caramel Treat using cream or Caramel Instant Pudding.  Place a layer of Tennis biscuits in the bottom of a square glass dish.  Spread the      thinned Caramel Treat over, then grate a bar of Peppermint Crisp on top.  Repeat these layers until you have a large enough pudding.  Top with whipped cream and  grated Crisp.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Malva Pudding originally from the Dutch settlers, this sweet pudding is served hot with sauce, custard or ice- cream.

Corn Flakes Pudding

Sprinkle 3 cups Corn Flakes on bottom of buttered dish, then 1 cup Coconut, then ¾ cup sugar.  Beat 3 eggs with 3 cups milk and 2,5ml Vanilla Essence.
Pour egg mixture SLOWLY over the other layers.
Bake at 180C for 20-25mins. Spread Apricot jam on hot pudding and serve with custard.

ALL THESE RECIPES AND MANY MORE HOUSEHOLD FAVOURITES APPEAR IN OUR RECIPE PAMPHLETS